Well-differentiated liposarcoma of tongue: A case report

It is important to consider WDLS as a potential cause of tongue lesions and include it in the list of differential diagnoses. When performing surgical intervention, it is crucial to remove enough tissue around the lesion, and regular follow-up is necessary due to the high risk of recurrence, despite its rarity, when margins are positive.

Liposarcoma (LS) is the most common soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) that arise from embryonic mesenchymal tissue. Though these sarcomas commonly arise at retroperitoneal locations and extremities, the appearance of these tumors in the head and neck region is rare, with the tongue as a preferred site. As per WHO 2020, LS is classified into four subtypes based on morphology, namely, Well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLS), Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLS), Myxoid liposarcoma (MLS), and Pleomorphic liposarcoma (PLS). WLS is the most common variant among all. Here, we had a case of 55 years old male with the complaint of swelling in the left lateral border of the tongue with the preliminary diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma. The patient underwent a left partial glossectomy with adequate margins. Further evaluation of the lesion revealed a clear cell tumor that was ultimately confirmed as liposarcoma on immunohistochemistry that showed tumor cells positive for S100, CDK4, and MDM2 with 2% Ki-67. Postsurgical status of the patient was evaluated by F18 FDG PET CTscan, which was normal. Currently, the patient is under regular follow-up.