Ossifying lipoma independent of bone tissue

A 46-year-old Japanese male was referred to a local hospital because of a firm, nontender mass on his neck. On physical examination, the tumor was soft, well demarcated, 3 x 2 cm in size and located in the submucosal region. It was entirely separate from the vertebrae. The resected tumor was shown to be a lipoma with focal ossification. Ossifying lipomas are rare, and the cases which are independent of bone even more so. A literature review revealed that ossifying lipoma independent of bone tissue has been reported in only 8 cases, and, interestingly, all of them occurred in the head and neck region.