Nodular fasciitis of the submandibular gland

Abstract

A woman in her 20s presented with a non-tender swelling of the right submandibular gland. Ultrasound was suggestive of pleomorphic adenoma. The histology result of the excised tumour later confirmed a diagnosis of nodular fasciitis which is extremely rare in the submandibular gland. Postoperatively, she has made good recovery. Due to the similarity of the radiological image of pleomorphic adenoma and nodular fasciitis, it poses difficulty in diagnosing nodular fasciitis without cytology or histology of the salivary gland. Although being extremely rare, it would be worth to consider nodular fasciitis as one of the differential diagnosis in future cases of benign submandibular lesions.