Oral lymphangioma: case report

Resumo

Introduction: Lymphangioma is a change of lymphatic vessels that
frequently affects the head and neck region. Its occurrence at oral
cavity is rare and it is most commonly identified at the anterior twothirds of the tongue. At this location, it is clinically characterized
as transparent and generally grouped vesicles, which can be red or
purple. The deep lesions appear as nodular masses of variable color
and superficial texture. It can be classified according to the size of
vessels into three types: capillary, cavernous, and cystic lymphangioma.
Several types of treatment have been suggested; and the most commonly
used treatments are: surgical excision, application of carbon dioxide
laser, cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen, and sclerosing agents.
Objective and case report: To describe a case of oral lymphangioma
diagnosed in a 17-year-old female patient. The lesion was presented
as multiple vesicles of soft consistency with thin epithelial lining and
color ranging from translucent to yellow-reddish, involving the soft
palate and the left retromolar region. Incisional biopsy confirmed the
hypothesis of cavernous lymphangioma. Patient was followed-up for
one year without signs of lesion relapse. Conclusion: Through this
clinical case report and literature review, this study emphasizes the
relevance of the clinical and histopathological features that should be
considered to confirm the clinical hypothesis and indicate the proper
therapeutic for oral lymphangiomas.