AN UNUSUAL ECTOPIC OSSEOUS TONGUE MASS - A case report.

We report a case of tongue swelling resulting from ectopic osseous proliferation within a pseudocystic stroma in a 24 year old healthy female. The patient presented a history of dull pain and gradual onset of a swelling at the ventral aspect of the tongue. The lesion had a mixed consistency with areas of sponginess andfluctuancy interspersed with nodular bony hardness and yielded a sanguinous aspirate. Doppler ultrasonographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a pseudocystic mass containing nodules of calcified bodies. Excision biopsy under general anaesthesia and histopathologic studies confirmed a case of ectopic osseous proliferation within the tongue. The lesion was marginally excised, wound healed satisfactorily with no complications as at 8(th) month follow-up period. This is a case of a lesion with conflicting clinical and histological characteristics. It underscores the need for routine immunohistochemistry and comprehensive aspirate analysis in our environment. The case has been reported to sensitize clinicians to a new possibility in the differential diagnosis of tongue swelling.