Hamartoma of the Tongue: Report of a Case

Abstract

IN 1904, Albrecht¹defined hamartoma as a tumor-like malformation in which normal tissue components of the organ are abnormally arranged, varying in size and differentiation of tissues. The liver, spleen, kidney, and lung are frequent sites. However, hamartoma is seldom found in the tongue. We recently experienced a case of lingual hamartoma which was successfully removed. This is a brief report of the case. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> The patient, a 4-month-old girl, was brought to our clinic. The mother noticed four round, gray-white masses in the tongue one month after birth. The patient was born prematurely as a fraternal twin. According to her mother's impression, the baby seemed to have slight difficulty in nursing. Examination of the oral cavity revealed four smoothly surfaced, gray-white hard tumor-like masses in the lingual area (Fig 1). The largest, 1 × 1 × 3 cm was located at the lingual base of the