Papillary Cystadenoma Presenting as an Exophytic Lesion on the Tongue

Raised lesions on the tongue can drastically affect a patient’s ability to eat and speak, and their overall quality of life, thus, warranting prompt diagnosis and management. The present report describes the case of an exophytic lesion on the tongue of a 6-year-old boy that was excised using a diode laser. The lesion was diagnosed with papillary cystadenoma (PCA) following meticulous clinical and histopathological analysis in conjunction with immunohistochemistry. PCA is a rare minor salivary gland neoplasm. While the majority of intraoral cases occur in the parotid gland followed by lips and buccal mucosa, the tongue is rarely involved. Because of a significant overlap between the clinical and histopathological features of PCA with a multitude of other lesions, it is a diagnostic challenge, particularly when it occurs on unusual sites as observed in the present case. PCA This case report adds to the scant number of reported cases of PCA occurring on an unusual site such as the anterior two-thirds of the dorsal surface of the tongue. It would serve to guide clinicians and pathologists in planning the diagnostic approach for such uncommon lesions.