Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Enna "Kore", 94100 Enna, Italy.
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University Hospital Policlinico-San Marco, 24046 Catania, Italy.
Ann Ital Chir. 2024;95(4):481-496. doi: 10.62713/aic.3316.
Congenital tumors of the tongue are rare in pediatric patients but encompass a diverse range of entities. Each tumor type exhibits distinct clinical behaviors, necessitating a precise approach to differentiating the tumor types and a tailored, tumor-specific treatment regimen. Advanced imaging techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging and perfusion studies, play a vital role in differentiating benign and malignant tongue tumors. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the presentation, imaging features, and treatment of congenital tongue tumors.
A literature review was conducted by searching studies on congenital tongue tumors in databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Relevant data, such as clinical features, radiologic characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes for different tumor types, were extracted from the selected articles.
Our literature review reveals the various entities of congenital tongue tumors, which can be categorized in terms of hereditary pattern, phenotype, and rarity. Congenital tongue tumors include a range of vascular malformations, such as hemangiomas, lymphatic malformations, arteriovenous malformations, and venous malformations. Another entity is represented by cystic lesions, including dermoid cysts, epidermoid cysts, ranulas, and mucous retention cysts. Rare malignant neoplasms include teratomas and rhabdomyosarcomas. These tumor types vary in terms of swelling, respiratory distress, or impaired oral function, depending on size and location. The detection of these tumors can be carried out using imaging modalities, such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography, which are utilized to facilitate diagnosis and differentiation. At present, surgical excision remains the cornerstone of treatment, while other modalities may be adopted, depending on tumor type and extent. The prognosis of congenital tongue tumors can be affected by tumor's site, size, involvement of vital structures, and malignancy.
Given their diversity and complexity, congenital tongue tumors, albeit uncommon, require specialized clinical treatments tailored to each tumor type's characteristics. Understanding the variable presentations and imaging features enables accurate diagnosis, while customized treatment strategies are key to optimizing outcomes and minimizing morbidity in pediatric tongue tumors. This review summarizes current knowledge aimed at enhancing differential diagnosis and management of these diverse entities.
先天性舌肿瘤在儿科患者中较为罕见，但包含多种实体。每种肿瘤类型都表现出不同的临床行为，因此需要精确的方法来区分肿瘤类型，并制定针对特定肿瘤的治疗方案。先进的成像技术，如弥散加权成像和灌注研究，在区分良性和恶性舌肿瘤方面发挥着重要作用。本综述总结了先天性舌肿瘤的临床表现、影像学特征和治疗方法。
通过在 PubMed、Embase、Web of Science 和 Scopus 等数据库中搜索有关先天性舌肿瘤的研究，进行文献回顾。从选定的文章中提取了不同肿瘤类型的临床特征、影像学特征、治疗方式和结果等相关数据。
我们的文献回顾揭示了先天性舌肿瘤的各种实体，可根据遗传模式、表型和罕见程度进行分类。先天性舌肿瘤包括多种血管畸形，如血管瘤、淋巴管瘤、动静脉畸形和静脉畸形。另一种实体是囊性病变，包括皮样囊肿、表皮样囊肿、舌下囊肿和黏液潴留囊肿。罕见的恶性肿瘤包括畸胎瘤和横纹肌肉瘤。这些肿瘤类型的大小和位置不同，其症状表现为肿胀、呼吸窘迫或口腔功能受损。可以使用超声、磁共振成像和计算机断层扫描等成像方式来检测这些肿瘤，以帮助诊断和区分。目前，手术切除仍然是治疗的基石，而其他方式可能根据肿瘤类型和范围采用。先天性舌肿瘤的预后受肿瘤部位、大小、是否累及重要结构以及恶性程度的影响。
鉴于其多样性和复杂性，尽管罕见，但先天性舌肿瘤需要根据每个肿瘤类型的特点进行专门的临床治疗。了解不同的表现和影像学特征有助于准确诊断，而制定定制化的治疗策略是优化儿科舌肿瘤治疗结果和降低发病率的关键。本综述总结了目前的知识，旨在提高对这些不同实体的鉴别诊断和管理水平。
