Verruciform Xanthoma: An Unusual Lesion of Tongue-A Case Report and Review of Literature

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is a rare entity and we could procure only very few publications in the literature. This innocuous lesion with a sessile or pedunculated base is normal, reddish in color but occasionally pale or hyperkeratotic with rough or pebbly surface; 75% of VX occurs in masticatory mucosa, gingiva, and palate and very few occurs in buccal mucosa, floor of the mouth, and rarely in the tongue. Our case on the tongue exhibited papillary or verrucous proliferation of squamous epithelium associated with hyperkeratosis and with copious foamy cells confined to lamina propria papillae. The hallmark of VX is the presence of vacuolated foam or xanthoma cells. The xanthoma cells have been shown to be cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. The exact etiopathogenesis of VX is not fully known, but various concepts have been postulated. Recurrence is unusual after surgical removal.