Tongue base varix as a source of oral bleeding: A case report

Oral bleeding is usually diagnosed after by referral to other department for the differential diagnosis of hematemesis or hemoptysis. If a patient presents with blood in the oral cavity with no obvious source, generally upper airway, pulmonary, or gastroesophageal lesions are considered likely bleeding foci. The tongue base is an unusual site for laryngopharyngeal varices and only a few cases have been reported.

Although varix at the tongue base in patients with liver cirrhosis has been rarely described, physicians must consider variceal bleeding from the tongue base when presented with oral bleeding. In such cases, bleeding foci can be identified and controlled by laryngoscopy. We describe the case of a 42-year-old woman complaining of small amount of hemoptysis with variceal bleeding at the tongue base controlled by laryngoscopic excision and cauterization.

A diagnosis of tongue base varix was made based on medical history, clinical manifestations, laryngoscopic findings and pathologic features for the patient.

The successful laryngoscopic procedures were performed.

The patient has shown no recurrent oral bleeding during follow-up.

Variceal bleeding in the tongue base is likely to cause serious massive hemorrhage. We need to consider this possibility when presented with a patient with intraoral bleeding but no evidence of hemoptysis or hematemesis.