Presentation, Radiologic Features, and Treatment Options of Congenital Tongue Tumors: A Comprehensive Review.

AIM: Congenital tumors of the tongue are rare in pediatric patients but encompass a diverse range of entities. Each tumor type exhibits distinct clinical behaviors, necessitating a precise approach to differentiating the tumor types and a tailored, tumor-specific treatment regimen. Advanced imaging techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging and perfusion studies, play a vital role in differentiating benign and malignant tongue tumors. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the presentation, imaging features, and treatment of congenital tongue tumors. METHODS: A literature review was conducted by searching studies on congenital tongue tumors in databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Relevant data, such as clinical features, radiologic characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes for different tumor types, were extracted from the selected articles. RESULTS: Our literature review reveals the various entities of congenital tongue tumors, which can be categorized in terms of hereditary pattern, phenotype, and rarity. Congenital tongue tumors include a range of vascular malformations, such as hemangiomas, lymphatic malformations, arteriovenous malformations, and venous malformations. Another entity is represented by cystic lesions, including dermoid cysts, epidermoid cysts, ranulas, and mucous retention cysts. Rare malignant neoplasms include teratomas and rhabdomyosarcomas. These tumor types vary in terms of swelling, respiratory distress, or impaired oral function, depending on size and location. The detection of these tumors can be carried out using imaging modalities, such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography, which are utilized to facilitate diagnosis and differentiation. At present, surgical excision remains the cornerstone of treatment, while other modalities may be adopted, depending on tumor type and extent. The prognosis of congenital tongue tumors can be affected by tumor's site, size, involvement of vital structures, and malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Given their diversity and complexity, congenital tongue tumors, albeit uncommon, require specialized clinical treatments tailored to each tumor type's characteristics. Understanding the variable presentations and imaging features enables accurate diagnosis, while customized treatment strategies are key to optimizing outcomes and minimizing morbidity in pediatric tongue tumors. This review summarizes current knowledge aimed at enhancing differential diagnosis and management of these diverse entities.

Adolescent tongue base tumour with diagnostic histopathological dilemma.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising from minor salivary glands at the base of the tongue is rare. Surgical excision of the tumours remains the primary treatment of choice. The prognosis of this tumour depends on optimum clearance of the disease surgically, clinical staging and histopathological grading. Postoperatively, radiotherapy depends on the grading and histopathological features of the tumour. Long-term follow-up is a must to detect early recurrences of oropharyngeal tumours. In our case, the tumour was removed by the transoral route because it was a limited tumour and for better postoperative functional outcomes. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was advised to address the perineural invasion and residual tumour of the base of the tongue region.

Lingual neoplasia in nonhuman primates: Description of five cases and a literature review.

BACKGROUND: Documentation of lingual tumors is scarce in nonhuman primates. METHODS: Through a multi-institutional retrospective study we compile cases of primary and metastatic neoplasia in non-human primates. RESULTS: We describe five cases of lingual neoplasia. Three cases are primary lingual tumors: chondro-osteoblastic lipoma in a howler monkey, squamous cell carcinoma, and fibroma in two baboons. We describe two cases of metastatic lymphoma in the tongue in rhesus macaques. A literature review of published lingual neoplasia in nonhuman primates is included in this manuscript. CONCLUSION: Lingual neoplasia is seldom reported in non-human primates.

[Analysis of cases of cervical cystic lymph node metastasis with an unknown primary misdiagnosed as branchial cleft carcinoma].

Objectives: To analyze the location, discovery time and possible causes of cases of cervical cystic lymph node metastasis with an unknown primary misdiagnosed as branchial cleft carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical and pathological data of 15 patients misdiagnosed as branchiogenic carcinoma at Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College between January 2000 and December 2020. Results: Among the 15 patients, 6 were nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, 4 tonsil squamous cell carcinoma, 2 tongue root squamous cell carcinoma, 2 hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 1 thyroid papillary carcinoma. The median time from the diagnosis of branchial cleft carcinoma to the discovery of primary lesions was 3.58 months (0-76 months). The causes of misdiagnosis might be the lack of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of branchial cleft carcinoma, and not enough attention to comprehensive examination and close follow-up. Conclusions: Different from oropharyngeal cancer reported internationally, the proportion of misdiagnosed cases with nasopharyngeal carcinoma as the primary site in the current article is higher. As a country with a high incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the examination of nasopharynx should not be taken lightly. Most hidden cases can be found in the comprehensive examination in a short time, while a few cases need long-term follow-up. Finding the primary sites should not rely too much on imaging examination, and we cannot ignore the importance of clinical physical examination.

Utilization of harmonic scalpel for the bloodless surgical management of a vascular lesion of the tongue and review of the literature.

A constant search for methods to limit blood loss, especially the vascular lesions of the tongue, has led to the acceptance of ultrasonic harmonic scalpels.The harmonic scalpel's reliability exists in its ability for lasting hemostasis with minimal heat dispersion to the surrounding structures.Surgical removal of the vascular pathology in a restricted area of the oral cavity and oropharynx dictates a bloodless surgical field, further allowing increased visibility of the lesion and the surrounding anatomical structures, subsequently narrowing the surgical time frame.We report a rare case of haemangioma of the lateral border of the tongue managed with complete resection of the tumor achieved using the harmonic scalpel with reduced intraoperative blood loss, increased visibility, evidently reduced post-operative necrosis and highly preserved tissue for the histopathological examination.

Single ulcers on the tongue dorsum: differential diagnosis between paracoccidioidomycosis and squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is the leading cause of death among systemic mycoses in Brazil. On the other hand, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm of the mouth. Both lesions rarely affect the tongue dorsum and may share similar clinical characteristics. This study aimed to retrieve cases of single oral ulcers diagnosed as PCM or OSCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted. All patients who had a single ulcer on dorsum of the tongue and confirmed diagnosis of PCM or OSCC were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 9 patients (5 women and 4 men) were evaluated, 5 patients had OSCCs (mean age = 69,8 years old), and 4 patients PCM (mean age = 51 years old). Most of the lesions were infiltrated and indurated in the palpation exam. Duration ranged from 1 to 12 months (mean time of 5.2 months and 4.7 months for OSCC and PCM, respectively). OSCC was the main clinical diagnosis hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon, PCM and OSCC should be considered as a diferential diagnosis hypothesis in infiltrated ulcers on the tongue dorsum. Iincisional biopsy is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis and indicate the appropriate treatment.

Novel DNA methylation biomarkers for early diagnosis of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is the most common malignancy type among males across the world. However, analysis of molecular markers could be useful in detecting the early-stage OTSCC, which would allow optimal clinical treatments and prolong the survival rate of patients consequently. The study has the objective of detecting the role of salivary biomarkers based on gene promoter hypermethylation. Sample data from 45 OTSCC and normal groups were analyzed to exhibit the methylation levels of salivary biomarkers (TRH, FHIT, MGMT, p16, and RASSF1A). The specificity and sensitivity analysis of methylation biomarkers was conducted in addition to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for both early-stage and advanced OTSCC stages. Quantitative data findings showed the perfect sensitivity and specificity for TRH, MGMT, p16, and RASSF1A with 100%, and > 90%, respectively. In addition, the results indicated an inefficient area under curves (> 0.7) for these biomarkers to detect the OTSCC. There were no significant differences observed between TRH and FHIT and p16 and MGMT based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The methylation statuses of genes TRH, RASSF1A, p16, and MGMT might become utilized as predictive biomarkers for clinical application in early diagnosis of OTSCC and noninvasive oral cancer screening.

Angiokeratoma of tongue in the pediatric age group: a rare presentation.

BACKGROUND: Angiokeratoma is a rare cutaneous presentation with unknown etiology. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of a 10-year male, who was presented to the ENT OPD with a swelling over the posterior aspect of the tongue. The chief complaints included growth on the right side of the posterior third of the tongue which was extending up to the base of the tongue on the same side. CONCLUSION: Excisional biopsy was taken and sent for histopathology which was suggestive of inflamed angiokeratoma. Post-excision there is no recurrence till date.

GLI1-Altered Soft Tissue Tumor in the Tongue-A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Soft tissue tumors with fusions or amplifications of the GLI1 gene have distinctive molecular characteristics and have recently been considered a unique pathological entity, thus named "GLI1-altered soft tissue tumors." It is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm that involves soft tissues at any site. Case presentation: We report an example of this condition in a 13-year-old Chinese male patient who presented with a mass in the tongue. The tumor was multilobulated; the tumor cells were arranged in nests and sheets, had a rich, delicate fibrovascular network, and were separated by a hyalinized fibrous stroma. The tumor cells were epithelioid to ovoid, with variable eosinophilic to pale vacuolated cytoplasm and round to oval nuclei. Immunostaining revealed that the tumor cells were positive for CDK4 and CD56. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for GLI1 translocation was positive, with a high level of amplification of the translocated segment. Literature review: We present a comprehensive literature review of this condition, focusing on its clinical presentation, histological features, immunohistochemical profile, molecular characteristics, and prognosis.

Early detection of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue using multidimensional plasma protein analysis and interpretable machine learning.

BACKGROUND: Interpretable machine learning (ML) for early detection of cancer has the potential to improve risk assessment and early intervention. METHODS: Data from 261 proteins related to inflammation and/or tumor processes in 123 blood samples collected from healthy persons, but of whom a sub-group later developed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (SCCOT), were analyzed. Samples from people who developed SCCOT within less than 5 years were classified as tumor-to-be and all other samples as tumor-free. The optimal ML algorithm for feature selection was identified and feature importance computed by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. Five popular ML algorithms (AdaBoost, Artificial neural networks [ANNs], Decision Tree [DT], eXtreme Gradient Boosting [XGBoost], and Support Vector Machine [SVM]) were applied to establish prediction models, and decisions of the optimal models were interpreted by SHAP. RESULTS: Using the 22 selected features, the SVM prediction model showed the best performance (sensitivity = 0.867, specificity = 0.859, balanced accuracy = 0.863, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [ROC-AUC] = 0.924). SHAP analysis revealed that the 22 features rendered varying person-specific impacts on model decision and the top three contributors to prediction were Interleukin 10 (IL10), TNF Receptor Associated Factor 2 (TRAF2), and Kallikrein Related Peptidase 12 (KLK12). CONCLUSION: Using multidimensional plasma protein analysis and interpretable ML, we outline a systematic approach for early detection of SCCOT before the appearance of clinical signs.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue in young adults: A Swedish head & neck cancer register (SweHNCR) population-based analysis of prognosis in relation to age and stage.

Increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue has been reported in young adults (YA) in several countries since the 1980s and confirmed in later studies. The etiology is unclear, the prognosis has been debated, and conflicting results have been published. Some studies show better survival in young adults than in older patients, some worse, and others no difference. Most studies are based on selected series or include other sites in the oral cavity. The definition of "YA" is arbitrary and varies between studies. It is thus difficult to use in general conclusions. This work uses data from the population-based Swedish Head and Neck Cancer register (SweHNCR), which has > 98% coverage. SweHNCR data includes age, gender, TNM, treatment intention, treatment given, lead times, performance status, and to a lesser degree, smoking habits. The current Swedish population is around 10 million. We analyzed outcomes for 1416 patients diagnosed with SCC of the oral tongue from 2008 to 2017 using 18-39 years to define YA age because it is the range most commonly used. We found no significant difference in relative survival (a proxy for diagnosis-specific survival) between age groups of patients treated with curative intent for SCC of the oral tongue. The stage at time of diagnosis was equally distributed among the age groups. Excess mortality rate correlated mainly with stage, subsite of the tongue, performance status, and lead time to treatment.

Nodule of the Midline Dorsal Tongue.

A 46-year-old man presented for an evaluation of a lesion on the dorsal tongue; he was asymptomatic and unaware of the lesion prior to it being discovered by his dentist. What is your diagnosis?

A case of complete remission of Hodgkin lymphoma confirmed histopathologically by neck dissection.

BACKGROUND: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is diagnosed definitively by biopsy, and treatment is based on stage. Owing to the nature of the disease, post-treatment efficacy is determined mainly by fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and the efficacy of treatment is not confirmed by histopathology. We report a case of tongue cancer after treatment for HL, in which a post-treatment lymph node with complete remission was histopathologically confirmed by neck dissection. CASE: The patient was a 74-year-old man who was referred to our hospital for cancer on the right side of his tongue. He had previously undergone chemotherapy for HL involving the right side of his neck and achieved complete remission. Because he had cT3N2cM0 tongue cancer, glossectomy and bilateral neck dissection were performed. Surprisingly, histopathological examination revealed that there was neither metastatic lymph nodes nor lymphoma cells in his right neck. Moreover, there was no lymphatic structure in his remnant lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: This was a rare case in which complete remission of HL was confirmed by histopathological analysis. The absence of lymph node structure and lymphatic flow led to contralateral neck lymph node metastases of tongue cancer.

Benign mesenchymal tumours of the tongue: A report of adult-type rhabdomyoma and granular cell tumour with a review of the literature.

The cytomorphological features of benign mesenchymal tumours of the tongue have rarely been reported. Herein, we present the cytomorphological features of adult-type rhabdomyoma, which occurred in the tongue of a female patient, and granular cell tumour (GCT), which occurred in the tongue of a male patient; both patients were in their mid-50s. The cytological features of the adult-type rhabdomyoma case included large polygonal to ovoid cells with abundant and granular cytoplasm with predominantly peripherally located, uniform, round to oval nuclei and small nucleoli. Cross-striation and crystalline intracytoplasmic structures were not seen. The cytological features of the GCT case included large cells with abundant granular pale cytoplasm, small round nuclei and small distinct nucleoli. The cytological differential diagnoses of these tumours overlap; thus, the cytological findings of the different entities included in their differential diagnoses are discussed.

Construction and application of dynamic online nomogram for prognosis prediction of patients with advanced (Stage III/IV) tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The prognosis of patients with advanced tongue squamous cell carcinoma (ATSCC) is poor, and their overall survival (OS) is relatively short. Currently, the TNM stage system is often used clinically to assess the prognosis of patients, but the evaluation index of the TNM stage system is relatively single and does not specifically demonstrate relevant prognostic data. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to construct a dynamic online nomogram for predicting the prognosis of patients with ATSCC and to provide some reference for personalized clinical treatment of patients. METHODS: Clinical and prognostic information on patients with pathologically confirmed ATSCC from 2000 to 2018 was extracted from the SEER database and randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort in a 7:3 ratio. Multifactorial and univariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify prognostic risk factors. Dynamic online nomogram were constructed using R software. Area under the curve (AUC), C-index, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) with time-dependent ROC curves were used to assess the clinical utility of the nomogram. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the prognosis of different patient categories. RESULTS: A total of 3828 patients with ATSCC were screened in the SEER database.Age,race, primary site, AJCC T,N and M stage, lymph nodes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and marital status were independent influences on OS(P < 0.05). In the training cohort, the C-index of the OS-related line plot was 0.733 and the AUC for predicting 3-year OS was 0.867. In the validation cohort, the C-index was 0.738 and the AUC for 3-year OS was 0.899. Calibration plots and DCA curves showed good predictive performance of the model in both the training and validation cohorts. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that chemotherapy, lymph nodes surgery,married,primary site(tongue base) and radiotherapy had better OS than the non-chemotherapy, non-surgery, single, primary site(tongue anterior), and non-radiotherapy groups, respectively (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The established dynamic online nomogram has good predictive performance, which helps to personalize and combine the actual clinical patients to comprehensively predict the prognosis of ATSCC patients and may have better clinical application than the TNM stage system.

Primary syphilis with a tongue ulcer mimicking tongue cancer: a case report.

The main symptom in primary syphilis is a small, painless, sore or ulcer called a chancre on the penis, vagina, or around the anus, although chancres can sometimes appear in the mouth or on the lips, fingers, or buttocks. We present the case of a man in his early 60 s with a chief complaint of a painful tongue ulcer. An ulcerated, indurated, and hemorrhagic lesion (23 × 14 mm) was found on the ventral tongue surface, near the oral floor. Palpation identified several swollen, mobile, elastic cervical lymph nodes, with no tenderness. We initially diagnosed tongue cancer; however, during a subsequent detailed examination for a malignant tumor, including biopsy and obtaining additional history, his disease was finally identified as primary syphilis with multiple swollen cervical lymph nodes. Oral amoxicillin and probenecid were started, and after 14 days, there was partial reduction in the size of the submandibular lymph nodes and the ulcer on the left tongue margin. The number of patients with syphilis in Japan increased by eight times from 2012 to 2018. We suggest that dentists consider primary syphilis as a differential diagnosis for oral refractory ulcer with induration and obtain a detailed patient history.

Use of tongue base palpation among oral healthcare providers: Cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the use of tongue base palpation during cancer screening exams by Oral Healthcare Providers (OHPs) and explore attitudes about (1) the usefulness of oral cancer screening (OCS) in detecting early, asymptomatic lesions and (2) routine OCS of the general population. STUDY DESIGN: Survey study. SETTING: Private and hospital-based clinical practices of OHPs located in Massachusetts and Connecticut, United States. METHODS: An anonymous, online 9-item survey assessing beliefs and practice patterns about cancer screening exams was distributed to OHPs with practices in Massachusetts and Connecticut from August 2020 to June 2021. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and Pearson correlations. Statistically significant levels were established at P < .050. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one responses were analyzed (response rate 17 %). Tongue base palpation was performed as part of a routine cancer screening exam by 55 % of otolaryngologists, 34 % of dentists and 29 % of OMFS (P = .030). Providers who palpated the tongue base were also more likely to use palpation as an exam technique in the tonsils (r = 0.52 [95 % CI 0.40-0.62]; P < .001) among other intra-and extra-oral anatomical subsites. Almost all dentists (92 %) and OMFS (98 %) but only 58 % of otolaryngologists considered OCS useful for detection of early, asymptomatic malignant lesions in the oral cavity (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: While tongue base palpation can detect oropharyngeal cancers in a pre-symptomatic stage, it is underutilized during routine cancer screening exams. Considering the rising incidence of oropharyngeal cancer, tongue base palpation should be established as a routine part of cancer screening by OHPs.