DERMOID CYST OF THE FLOOR OF THE MOUTH DIAGNOSED BY FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY - A CASE-REPORT

BACKGROUND: Dermoid cyst of the floor of the mouth is a rare, benign l esion requiring surgical intervention. To our knowledge, the preoperat ive diagnosis of this entity by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology has not been previously reported in the cytologic literature. CASE: Th e patient presented with a massive swelling of the floor of the mouth that displaced the tongue superiorly. A computed tomographic (CT) scan demonstrated a cystic lesion thought to be consistent with a lymphang ioma. FNA was performed without complications and demonstrated numerou s anucleated and some nucleated squames consistent with a diagnosis of dermoid cyst. Establishment of the correct diagnosis by FNA enabled t he surgeon to proceed with the appropriate operation; that outcome mig ht not have been possible had the erroneous CT diagnosis of lymphangio ma been trusted. CONCLUSION: A preoperative diagnosis of dermoid cyst of the floor of the mouth was established by FNA. In contrast to repor ts in the older literature, the FNA procedure caused no complications. In patients presenting with lesions of the floor of the mouth, FNA sh ould be the diagnostic procedure of first choice.