Nests of epithelial cells in the lingual stroma: Evidence suggestive of epithelial differentiation of lingual stromal cells - A case report

We report an unusual case of a small sessile lesion at the base of the tong ue of a 55-year-old woman. The stroma of the lesion contained confluent nes ts and sheets of benign squamous cells with mild inflammatory atypia and in conspicuous intervening stroma. At the periphery of the lesion, scattered s pindle-shaped squamous cells were identified in the perivascular spaces. Se rial sectioning showed no evidence of connection of the lesion with the ove rlying squamous epithelium. These findings were not consistent with an incl usion of the overlying squamous epithelium or simple entrapment of squamous cells. It is likely that this case illustrates an example of Lingual multi potential stromal cells that may transform into squamous cells. This lesion must be distinguished from a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.