Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of the Oral Cavity. A Great Mimicker

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a seldom-described tumor of indefinite etiology and pathogenesis. It occurs primarily in the lungs, but has occurred in other extra-pulmonary sites. Histologically, these lesions appear as an inflammatory infiltrate within a variably myofibrotic background. Current evidence shows that inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are neoplastic processes resulting from chromosomal translocations that frequently cause an overexpression of ALK kinase, often assessed using immunohistochemical studies. Currently, the biological behavior of oral IMT is still uncertain. This article illustrates the clinical, histological and operative features of a case of IMT of the oral cavity.