Clinical-pathological aspects of oral lymphoepithelial cyst: case report

ABSTRACT Oral lymphoepithelial cyst (OLEC) is an uncommon lesion whose pathogenesis remains poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to report a case of OLEC. Female patient, white, 62 years old, presented asymptomatic nodular swelling of soft consistency in the lateral border of the tongue. Under the clinical hypothesis of lymphoid tissue hyperplasia, an excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed a pathological epithelial-lined cavity and a cystic connective tissue capsule containing lymphoid tissue. The diagnosis of OLEC was established and the patient showed no signs of recurrence after surgical removal of the lesion.