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A sebaceous gland in the dorsal surface of the tongue
A sebaceous gland in the dorsal surface of the tongue
O. Kovero Department of Oral Radiology, University of Helsinki, Finland
O. Kovero: A sebaceous gland in the dorsal surface of the tongue. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 1989; 18: 266. Abstract. The presence of a sebaceous gland in the dorsal surface of the tongue is described. Its features are c o m p a r e d with the 5 previously reported cases.
Sebaceous glands in the tongue are rare, with only 5 reported cases in the literature 1,2,4. In a macroscopic study o f sebaceous glands in the oral mucosa of man, SEwzmN 3 examined 1717 persons and found no lingual sebaceous glands•
atrophy• In that area the epithelium was thinner and its basal layer contained melanin pigment. A sebaceous gland surrounded by muscle fibers was seen in the specimen (Fig. 2). The PAS-stained sections showed no signs of Candida. Serial sections revealed no opening to the surface epithelium.
Case report
Routine examinatiot~ of a 28-year-old man revealed a sharply ~e~arcated, reddish, smooth, 7 mm broad a,n~ 1,5 mm long, depapillated area in the middi~ ~!iird of the dorsum of the tongue, halfw~ between the lateral border and the midliile (Fig. 1). The lesion was asymptomatic,: : 51 : 'i, The lesion was excise¢!,'preserved in formaline and embedded,in ~p~ffiffin. It was cut in 5-micron sections and stained with hematoxyhn and eosm and penq&c ac~d-Schlff stare. The surface of the '!fi0i~sy specimen was covered by keratinized e~i~helium except for the center, correspond~liglwith the papillary •
.
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Accepted for publication 1 June 1989
Discussion
The case presented is similar to the previously reported cases, except that the surface of the lesion was not elevated but smooth. Histologically, there was melanin pigment in the basal cell layer of the epithelium overlying the sebaceous gland. This was also seen by KNAI'P2. The existence o f an orifice on the surface of the tongue has been verified by KNAPP and suspected also by TRODAHL et al. 4. In the case described no orifice could be detected in spite o f the serial sections made.
References
.
Fig. 1. Sharply delineated papillary atrophy of the tongue.
Key words: sebaceous gland; tongue.
1. GuIDuccI AA, HYMAN AB. Sebaceous glands in the tongue. Arch Dermatol 1954: 70: 349-54. 2. KNAVV MJ. Lingual sebaceous glands and a possible thyroglossal duct. Oral Surg 1971: 31: 70-8. 3. SEWBRINI. The sebaceous glands in the vermilion border of the lips and in the oral mucosa of man. Acta Odont Scand 1975: 33: Suppl 68. 4. TRODAHLJN, ALBJERGLRE, GORLINRJ. Ectopic sebaceous glands of the tongue. Arch Dermatol 1967: 95: 387-9.
Fig. 2. The sebaceous gland underneath the area shown in Fig. 1.
Address: O. Kovero Mannerheimintie 172 SF-O0300 Helsinki Finland
O. Kovero Department of Oral Radiology, University of Helsinki, Finland
O. Kovero: A sebaceous gland in the dorsal surface of the tongue. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 1989; 18: 266. Abstract. The presence of a sebaceous gland in the dorsal surface of the tongue is described. Its features are c o m p a r e d with the 5 previously reported cases.
Sebaceous glands in the tongue are rare, with only 5 reported cases in the literature 1,2,4. In a macroscopic study o f sebaceous glands in the oral mucosa of man, SEwzmN 3 examined 1717 persons and found no lingual sebaceous glands•
atrophy• In that area the epithelium was thinner and its basal layer contained melanin pigment. A sebaceous gland surrounded by muscle fibers was seen in the specimen (Fig. 2). The PAS-stained sections showed no signs of Candida. Serial sections revealed no opening to the surface epithelium.
Case report
Routine examinatiot~ of a 28-year-old man revealed a sharply ~e~arcated, reddish, smooth, 7 mm broad a,n~ 1,5 mm long, depapillated area in the middi~ ~!iird of the dorsum of the tongue, halfw~ between the lateral border and the midliile (Fig. 1). The lesion was asymptomatic,: : 51 : 'i, The lesion was excise¢!,'preserved in formaline and embedded,in ~p~ffiffin. It was cut in 5-micron sections and stained with hematoxyhn and eosm and penq&c ac~d-Schlff stare. The surface of the '!fi0i~sy specimen was covered by keratinized e~i~helium except for the center, correspond~liglwith the papillary •
.
,
,f:~.
~;:~
.
.
Accepted for publication 1 June 1989
Discussion
The case presented is similar to the previously reported cases, except that the surface of the lesion was not elevated but smooth. Histologically, there was melanin pigment in the basal cell layer of the epithelium overlying the sebaceous gland. This was also seen by KNAI'P2. The existence o f an orifice on the surface of the tongue has been verified by KNAPP and suspected also by TRODAHL et al. 4. In the case described no orifice could be detected in spite o f the serial sections made.
References
.
Fig. 1. Sharply delineated papillary atrophy of the tongue.
Key words: sebaceous gland; tongue.
1. GuIDuccI AA, HYMAN AB. Sebaceous glands in the tongue. Arch Dermatol 1954: 70: 349-54. 2. KNAVV MJ. Lingual sebaceous glands and a possible thyroglossal duct. Oral Surg 1971: 31: 70-8. 3. SEWBRINI. The sebaceous glands in the vermilion border of the lips and in the oral mucosa of man. Acta Odont Scand 1975: 33: Suppl 68. 4. TRODAHLJN, ALBJERGLRE, GORLINRJ. Ectopic sebaceous glands of the tongue. Arch Dermatol 1967: 95: 387-9.
Fig. 2. The sebaceous gland underneath the area shown in Fig. 1.
Address: O. Kovero Mannerheimintie 172 SF-O0300 Helsinki Finland