Histopathological Analysis of Tongue Lesions and Distribution by Age Groups

Abstract

Aim: To retrospectively evaluate the histopathological characteristics of biopsies taken from tongue lesions and compare the results with current literature. Material and Methods: Histopathological results of biopsies taken from 163 patients with suspected tongue lesions between January 2017 and January 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The results were evaluated in different age groups. Results: Seventy-two (44.2%) of the patients were male and 91 (55.8%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 47.76±17.33 years. The lesion was benign in 135 (82.8%) patients, precancerous in 4 (2.5%), and malignant in 24 (14.7%). Of the 135 patients with benign findings, squamous papilloma was detected in 33 (24.4%) patients and irritation fibroma in 19 (14.1%). Ulcer/inflammatory granulation tissue was detected in 18 (13.3%) patients, parakeratosis/acanthosis in 14 (10.4%), fibroepithelial polyp in 14 (10.4%), and pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia in 9 (6.7%). Less frequently, lymphoid hyperplasia, neurofibroma, mucocele, and verruca vulgaris were detected in 1 (0.7%) patient each. Squamous cell carcinoma was detected in all patients with malignancy. When evaluated according to age groups, it was found that the patients were most commonly in the 50–59 (27.6%) age group, followed by the 40–49 (19.6%) age group. Conclusion: The results show that most tongue lesions are benign. It should be noted that not every mass in the tongue is cancerous, but leukoplakic and ulcerated areas can be malignant. Due to the rapid metastasis of tongue lesions, early diagnosis and treatment may contribute significantly to the prognosis of patients.