Carcinoma of the dorsum of the tongue

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anterior two thirds of the tongue is the second most common oral cancer, with the lateral border being the most common location. Squamous cell carcinoma of the dorsum of the tongue is exceedingly rare and has been described in the past as a myth or misdiagnosis. The clinical diagnosis of SCC on the dorsum of the tongue is difficult because it may be mimicked by a wide variety of benign and premalignant lesions, including granular cell myoblastoma, erosive lichen planus, medial rhomboid glossitis, and amyloidosis. In this study we re-evaluate the entity of SCC of the dorsum of the tongue.

We reviewed 5 large series of carcinoma of the tongue, which include accurate documentation of the topographic location of the carcinoma. We also describe 5 cases of SCC of the dorsum of the tongue from our own series of 99 patients with carcinoma of the tongue.

In all 6 series, carcinoma of the dorsum of the tongue was present in 3 to 5% of the carcinomas of the tongue.

Although rare, SCC of the dorsum of the tongue exists and may be mimicked by benign conditions, thus SCC should be suspected when diagnosing lesions of this area of the tongue.