A Case Report of Intraductal Papilloma Arising from Minor Salivary Glands of the Tongue

Abstract

We experienced a case with an intraductal papilloma arising from minor salivary glands of the tongue. The patient, a 33-year-old woman, came to our hospital with a complaint of a mass on the right side of the tongue. A mass was palpated in the submucosa behind the right lingual border. The size was the tip of the index finger and the elasticity was elastic hard. Imaging examination revealed a 13 mm nodule with well-defined borders showing uniform contrast effect, suggesting that it was not a malignant tumor. No abnormalities of tongue movement, sensation, or taste were observed, and blood tests showed no abnormal finding. We performed fine-needle aspiration cytology and found no malignancy. As a diagnostic treatment, a tumor resection was performed under general anesthesia, resulting in a diagnosis of intraductal papilloma. At 1 year postoperatively, there was no local recurrence on visual examination. Although many cases of intraductal papilloma are reported to have a good prognosis with tumor excision alone, since recurrence or malignant transformation is possible, early excision and follow-up are recommended when intraductal papilloma is mentioned in the differential diagnosis.