Lipomas and fibrolipomas of the oral cavity

The clinical and histological characteristics of 19 lipomas and fibrolipomas of the oral cavity are presented. Data on age, sex, location, clinical appearance, duration, recurrence and histological diagnosis are reviewed. The data gave a slightly higher incidence of oral lipomas in comparison with lipomas of the whole body (2.2%), and with benign tumours of the oral cavity (2.4%) than reported in the literature. As with many tumours the aetiology of lipomas remains obscure. It is though that repeated mild trauma may trigger the proliferation of fatty tissue and finally causes a lipoma. In 1971 Hatziotis reviewed the literature from 1945 to 1967 and found 145 cases of intraoral lipomas. The literature up to 1981 has been surveyed and 80 additional cases were found. These 225 oral lipomas and fibrolipomas were reviewed. Sixty-six per cent of the tumours occurred in patients in the fifth to the seventh decade. The male-female ratio for lipomas was 1.5:1, and for fibrolipomas 1:1,3. In most cases the only symptom was a painless, palpable tumour. The time between the initial discovery and removal was on average 4 years and 9 months. The cheek was the most favoured site, followed by the tongue, floor of mouth and buccal sulcus and vestibule equally, lip, palate, gingiva and retromolar area. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice and, as far as is known, recurrence has only once been noticed.