Verrucous carcinoma of the tongue.
A 75-year-old woman with full dentures had a progressive growth on the tongue for the past 15 years. She reported ulceration of the lesion 4 months prior that was accompanied by pain and odinophagia. She denied addiction to alcohol or tobacco. On examination, there was an ulcerated, vegetating, verrucous lesion, with yellow-whitish areas intermingled with erythematous areas, being infiltrated and having well-defined borders, on almost all areas of the back of the tongue (Figure 1). No adjacent lymphadenopathy was found. Biopsy of the tongue was compatible with verrucous carcinoma demonstrating squamous cell neoplasia with prevailing areas of rounded borders. There were "tunnels" filled with parakeratotic material surrounded by an extensive inflammatory response, plus isolated foci of neutrophils inside the tumor (Figure 2). There were relatively well-differentiated neoplastic cells with little cytological atypia. In addition, there were several foci of individual or grouped dyskeratotic cells (Figure 3), plus tunnelling of parakeratotic material and an intratumor inflammatory response (Figure 4). Following surgical removal, the woman underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Sectors of Dermatology, HUCFF and School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fernanda Aguiar Santos
FA
Vilela
Beatriz Moritz
BM
Trope
Paula Cabral Menezes
PC
Gurfinkel
Juan Manuel
JM
Piñeiro-Maceira
Marcia
M
Ramos-e-Silva
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018289:Carcinoma, Verrucous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy