ULTRASOUND CHARACTERIZATION OF A LYMPHATIC MALFORMATION OF THE TONGUE: A CASE REPORT

D. Di Stasio

Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy

Correspondence to:
Dario Di Stasio, DDS
Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties,
University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli,
Naples, Italy
e-mail: dario.distasio@unicampania.it

Received: 03 January 2018 Accepted: 20  February  2018

2038-4106(2018) Copyright © by BIOLIFE This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties Disclosure: all authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

ABSTRACT
Lymphangioma is an infrequent benign lesion in the family of vascular malformations classified as lymphatic malformation (LMs). These, in most cases, have onset in the first years of life but can sometimes occur during growth. Clinical severity can range from the absence of symptoms to mild discomfort to the point of determining bone malformations of the entire head and neck area. The diagnosis can be addressed from the clinical examination, which the histopathological examination will confirm. The imaging tests used in this area are computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasounds. Ultrasounds can be used with both intraoral and extraoral approaches. The intraoral approach is best suited when the mass is on the tongue. A case report of a lymphangioma of the back of the tongue is presented. The clinical and histological characteristics of the lesion were analyzed. An ultrasound examination (US) was performed to determine the characteristics of the lesion. Information obtained in the US was useful as a diagnostic aid. Intraoral ultrasonography can be a promising diagnostic aid in the context of LMs of the tongue.

KEYWORDS: Lymphangioma, tongue, clinical and histopathological examination, ultrasound