Unusual facial lipoma

Abstract

Lipoma is a benign mesenchymal neoplasm of soft tissue composed of mature adipocyte cells, being among the most common benign tumors. However, it has been reported that they are uncommon in the oral cavity, representing between 15% and 20% of cases involving the head and neck, and between 1% and 5% of all benign neoplasms of the oral cavity. As for their clinical features, lipomas present as slow-growing and asymptomatic, with an associated yellowish submucosal growth, and may not be well circumscribed. Lipomas are known to grow to around 0.5 to 2 cm, but can have very large maximum diameters. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, recurrence being rare. The reported case is of a 74 year old, female patient, exhibiting a large lipoma in the right genial-masseteric region, which is unusual with the clinic presentation of lipomas occurring on the face. The patient was subjected to the complete removal of the lesion, was monitored for 6 months and presented no signs of recurrence.