Spindle cell lipoma of the tongue: A case report of unusual occurrence

Abstract

Spindle cell lipoma (SCL) is a benign lipomatous tumor predominantly occurring at the posterior neck and shoulder area. Face, forehead, scalp, cheek, perioral area, and upper arm are less common sites. In oral cavity, it is a relatively uncommon neoplasm, particularly in tongue, which is relatively devoid of fat cells. We present a case report of SCL located on the left lateral border of the tongue in a 64-year-old Caucasian female patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 and arterial hypertension.

The lipoma of tongue - A rare site for a tumor: Case report and review of the literature

“…[ 2 ] The first description of lipoma was found by Roux in 1848 in a review of alveolar masses; he referred to lipoma as “yellow epulis.”[ 2 ] The first case reported of lingual lipoma was credited to Barling in 1858. [ 3 ]…”

Rare Occurrence of Lip Spindle Cell Lipoma

“…Aetiology and pathogenesis are still unclear [7, 14, 17]. However, causative factors that have been postulated include trauma, chromosomal abnormality, hereditary, chronic irritation, hormonal imbalance metabolic conditions [7], heredity, fatty generation, and lipoblastic embryonic cell nest in origin [11].…”

“…Microscopically, SCLs do not differ from normal fat cells; however they do differ metabolically [7] in that they are not used as an energy source as in normal adipose tissue. This may be due to high lipoprotein lipase activity in neoplastic lipoma cells [1].…”

“…First, the lesion is composed of bland mitotically inactive spindle cells arranged in parallel registers between the fat cells, associated with thick rope-like collage bundles [7]. The other is the immunohistochemical stains for CD34 highlighting the bland spindle cell [6] and negative staining with S-100 protein [6, 8].…”

“…The treatment of choice of all histological variants is local surgical excision [7] with good prognosis and rare recurrence [1, 7]. Excision should be carried out with caution to avoid recurrence especially with infiltrating lipomas [2].…”