Chondroma of the Tongue

Introduction: Chondromas are rare mesenchymal benign tumors that are most often encountered in pelvis and ribs, and rarely in head and neck region. They account for about 10% of all benign chondroid proliferations and the rarest occurrence of soft tissue chondromas is within oral cavity.

Case: A 10-year-old female patient was referred to our Clinic because of moderate speech impairment, swallowing disturbances and foreign body sensation in tongue. On clinical examination and MRI scans, hard, painless, clearly demarcated submucosal mass was observed on the left side of the tongue. Surgery was perfomed using intraoral incision approach, and the tumor was completly removed. Histopathological examination of the specimen was positive for chondroma.

Conclusion: Chondromas benign tumors of mature hyaline cartillage localized in soft tissues of head and neck region. Growing slowly, and painlessly, they remain silent for some period, until reaching certain dimensions, and becoming symptomatous. Magnetic resonance imaging scan provides complete information about localization, size, growth of the tissue, and contributes significantly to the decision of appropriate surgical approach.