[Oropharyngeal angiolipoma: a case study]

Angiolipoma is a histological variation of lipoma. It occurs in 17% of the cases of lipoma and the cervico-facial localization is quite rate. Indeed, in the literature 17 cases of angiolipoma have been presented in the head and neck region and none in the oropharygeal area. The present work reports a case of pedunculate angiolipoma in a 44-year-old male: the red-violaceous growth resting on the upper surface of the tongue--was 13 cm long and 1 cm in diameter. The implantation base corresponded to the left posterior-lateral wall of the oropharnyx, 1 cm below the lower tonsilar pole. A serreneoud loop was used to remove the angiolipoma in direct view, the patients mouth held open with an autostatic gag. Histologically it was a non infiltrating variant for which simple removal is curative and recurrences are rare. Viceversa, removal of the infiltrating type requires expanding there section edges to include surrounding tissues in an attempt to preventre currences which are quite frequent (occurring in approximately 50% of the cases).