Oral lymphoepithelial cyst: a collaborative clinicopathologic study of 132 cases from brazil

Objectives To report the clinicopathologic features of 132 cases of the oral lymphoepithelial cyst (OLC). Study Design A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was performed. A total of 106,282 biopsy records of oral and maxillofacial lesions from 6 oral pathology services in Brazil were analyzed. All cases of OLCs were reviewed and clinical, demographic, and histopathologic data were collected. Results Among all lesions, there were 132 cases of OLC (0.11%). The series included 83 females (62.9%) and 49 males (37.1%), with a mean age of 45.8 ± 17.7 years (range, 04-88 years). Patients in the fifth and sixth decades of life were most affected (n = 24; 18.2% for both decades). Most cases involved the tongue (n = 80; 62.0%), followed by floor of the mouth (n = 32; 24.8%). Tumor size varied from 0.4 to 2.0 cm (0.45 ± 0.28) and most lesions were asymptomatic (n = 93; 91.2%). No recurrences were observed after surgical excision. Conclusions Clinical and demographic features were similar to those described in previous studies. Overall, this lesion has a predilection for the posterior region of the tongue of female adults.