[Hemangioma of the tongue: Experience in Mali]

To study the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of hemangioma of the tongue.

A 65 year old man admitted to ENT for a swelling of the tongue that appeared two years ago and progressively increased in volume leading to permanent protrusion. The swelling took up the entire anterior third of the tongue. It had a reddish appearance. On palpation, it was a rounded, firm, well-limited, slightly sensitive mass, measuring 5 cm in diameter. The rest of the ENT examination was unremarkable. Lingual CT scan revealed a very limited mass with hyperechogenic content that did not increase in size after injection of the contrast agent. Surgical excision was performed and the postoperative follow-up was simple. Histology concluded that there was a hemangioma of the tongue.

Hemangioma of the tongue is a rare pathology. It must be considered in front of any lingual mass in adults. Its positive diagnosis is clinical and histological.