title: [Spontaneous exposition of a midline palatal torus].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Palatal torus, or torus palatinus, is a benign bone alteration that may cause some discomfort during phonation or swallowing. When its growth or persistent exposition produces unpleasant symptoms, it must be surgically removed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated an 82-year-old female patient who consulted for a painful ulcerous lesion she had had for a year and which produced halitosis and discomfort when swallowing. During the oral cavity physical exam we observed a hard protuberance on the midline. It showed a perforation and ulceration of the lateral posterior palatal mucosa on the left side. We considered the following diagnosis: palatal torus, osteoma, pyogenic granuloma, or a soft-tissue neoplasia. We decided to surgically remove it and to perform a histopathological examination. Clinical evolution was satisfactory with complete resolution one month after surgery. The histopathological examination showed hyperostosis along with chronic inflammation of the soft tissues and a simple hyperplasia of the mucosa, which in turn indicated a palatal torus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report an unusual case of spontaneous exposition of a palatal torus which took up almost all of the hard palate area. Its resection is described and we inform the histopathological findings. In the literature review, we did not find a previous report of a spontaneous exposition of a palatal torus.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Odontología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sinisterra
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Álvarez
authors.forename: Pablo Emilio
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Molano
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005096:Exostoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D017789:Granuloma, Pyogenic / Q000175:diagnosis; D006209:Halitosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010016:Osteoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery