Amyloidoma of the Tongue: Case Report, Surgical Management, and Review of the Literature

Nodule of the Midline Dorsal Tongue

“…In general, amyloidosis is a process that involves deposition of insoluble aggregates of misfolded fibrillary proteins called amyloidogenic proteins in an extracellular matrix of various organs and tissues. 5 The 3 major forms of amyloidosis include primary systemic amyloidosis, secondary systemic amyloidosis, and localized amyloidosis (also known as amyloidoma). Some of the commonly affected organs include the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, nerves, muscle, and skin.…”

“…7 Amyloidosis isolated to the tongue without involvement of other organs is extremely rare. 5 Tongue-localized amyloidosis often presents as a single nodule in the median of the dorsal tongue, surrounded by an area of atrophic papillae, which mimics the appearance of median rhomboid glossitis. The papillary atrophy is thought to be due to the effect of amyloid deposition.…”

“…Amyloid deposit in the oral cavity, specifically the tongue, is almost always associated with underlying diseases such as primary amyloidosis, multiple myeloma, or rheumatoid arthritis . Amyloidosis isolated to the tongue without involvement of other organs is extremely rare . Tongue-localized amyloidosis often presents as a single nodule in the median of the dorsal tongue, surrounded by an area of atrophic papillae, which mimics the appearance of median rhomboid glossitis.…”

Oral localized amyloidosis

“…Together with this present review, a total of 52 cases of oral localized amyloidosis were found in the literature. The majority of the cases was observed in female patients (53.84%) 10,11,13,14,17,18,[20][21][22][24][25][26][28][29][30]32,[34][35][36] , with an average age of 55,4 years (range 9 to 90 years) and the tongue as the most common localization (49.12%) 4,10,16,[19][20][21][22][26][27][28]30,[33][34][35][36]38 . All data of this review are consistent with the present case reported.…”

Macroglossia reveals multiple myeloma

“…These hyaline deposits typically show a perivascular distribution, and they are positive for the Congo red staining and applegreen birefringent under polarized light. 18 Systemic amyloidosis may be primary, and it can occur in association with multiple myeloma (15-20% of cases), typically in older adults. 19 Amyloidosis as a complication of multiple myeloma carries with it grave prognostic implications, and the median survival of myeloma patients following a diagnosis of amyloidosis is only 4 months.…”