A case of sialolipoma in mucosa of the retromolar triangle

Abstract

Sialolipoma, a new variant of lipoma, is a rare, benign tumor of the salivary glands that comprises both glandular tissue and mature fat cells. Here we describe the characteristic features of a sialolipoma of the retromolar triangle and review the literature.

　A 62-year-old woman presented with an elliptical tumor (diameter 5 mm) arising in the retromolar triangular mucosa. Panoramic X-ray images revealed the absence of bone resorption in the jawbone adjacent to the tumor, and magnetic resonance imaging could not confirm deeper progression. The pathological findings of a biopsy specimen obtained during resection performed with the patient under general anesthesia in September 2016 confirmed a diagnosis of sialolipoma.

　Sialolipoma arising from small salivary glands is very rare, and only three reports have described sialolipoma arising in the retromolar triangle in the domestic and international literature between 2001 and 2017. Our patient has remained free of lipoma recurrence for 18 months after surgical resection.