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Clinical Problem Solving
Pathology
March 2014

Swelling Affecting the Left Inferior Labial Mucosa

Author Affiliations
  • 1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 2Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;140(3):271-272. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2013.6361

A woman in her 70s was referred for assessment of a swelling affecting the left inferior labial mucosa. Slow enlargement had occurred over 2 years, but the appearance had been stable over the past several months. There was no associated tenderness or paresthesia. There was no history of any recent trauma.

On examination, the lesion was a soft submucosal nodule surfaced by unremarkable pink mucosa and measured 15 mm in the greatest dimension (Figure, A). There was no cervical lymphadenopathy. Incisional biopsy revealed deep submucosal infiltration by both nested and individual cells with vacuolated cytoplasmic clearing and nuclear scalloping reminiscent of lipoblasts (Figure, B and C). There were some admixed mature adipocytes. Mitotic figures and necrosis were not identified. No foreign material was seen histologically.

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