Heterotopic gastrointestinal cyst within the submandibular space in an adult: A case report and review of the literature

Heterotopic gastrointestinal cysts (HGIC) are rare congenital cysts that arise anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. HGICs are infrequently reported in the oral cavity; 0.3% of HGICs are reported in the tongue and even more rarely in the submandibular space. Oral HCIGs are more common in children with only 13 reported cases in adults. In the present report, we discuss the differential diagnoses of the submandibular space lesions and describe a rare case of a very large submandibular space HGIC in an adult patient.