Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of the Tongue. Report of a Pediatric Case and Review of the Literature.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is an uncommon mesenchymal lesion composed of myofibroblastic and fibroblastic spindle cells, accompanied by inflammatory infiltration. IMT may occur in the tongue. Five cases have been previously reported at this site. CASE REPORT An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor arose in the tongue of a 10 month old infant, confirmed by anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) immunohistochemical staining and the clinical response to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: IMT can occur in the tongue. This report highlights the differential diagnosis of IMT. ALK staining is both a helpful diagnostic marker and a predictive marker for targeted therapy in this tumor type.