▲Figure 1: A round mass can be seen on the tongue.

(Photo courtesy/Yang Shiwei)

Text / Yang Shiwei

A 30-year-old male, in the past 3-4 years, there was a small round smooth lump under the tip of the tongue that gradually became larger, and it was neither painful nor itchy.

From the appearance, the mass was nearly 1 cm in size (Figure 1).

The patient said that the lump seemed to have been there since childhood, but it had gradually grown larger in recent years, so he came to see a doctor.

The patient was quite worried about whether there would be abnormal tissue changes in the mass, and underwent surgical resection after discussion.

The result of the test was benign lymphangioma (English name: Lymphangioma); the wound recovered well after the operation (Figure 2), and continued to be followed up in the outpatient clinic.

Please read on...

▲Figure 2: The wound healed well one month after the operation.

(Photo courtesy/Yang Shiwei)

Congenital benign tumors are prone to head and neck

Lymphangioma is a clinically rare congenital benign tumor, accounting for about 6% of benign tumors in the population under the age of 20. The prevalence rate is about 0.12-0.28%, and the incidence rate of men and women is equal. 75%.

In addition, some patients with lymphangioma are related to chromosomal abnormalities.

The disease is caused by overgrowth of lymphatic vessels causing fluid-filled lumps or cysts, which are not malignant cancerous changes.

Most lymphangiomas appear on the body at birth, mainly in the head and neck region, but can also form in any part of the body, including armpits, shoulders, chest wall, mediastinum, abdominal wall, thighs, etc.

Lymphangioma usually does not cause pain and does not cause other symptoms such as itching.

These cysts are almost always benign and rarely life-threatening.

However, if the mass affects the normal functions of vital organs such as eyes, throat, or lungs, including: changes in vision, difficulty swallowing, dysphonia, difficulty breathing, airway obstruction, etc., it should be treated immediately to avoid damage to organs. Functional change or life threatening.

If there is no obvious change in lymphangioma, regular follow-up observation can sometimes be adopted.

When lymphangioma changes in size or shape, changes in color, or affects the function of important organs, active treatment is necessary.

The main treatment methods include surgical resection, laser surgery, or injection of sclerosing agents.

After treatment, lymphangioma is likely to recur, because sometimes it is difficult to find and remove all the lymphoid tissue cells that cause cyst growth, so after surgical treatment, long-term follow-up is still necessary.

(The author is an Otolaryngologist at Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital)

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  • the tumor

  • Tongue

  • health care

  • Lymphangioma

  • head and neck

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