A case report of oral heterotopic gastrointestinal cysts (HGIC) and review of the literature. (12th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bains, Gursimran Kaur; Pilkington, Richard; Stafford, Joanna; Bhatia, Sunil
• Is Part Of: Oral surgery. Volume 15:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 71
• Page End: 80
• Publication Date: 2021-01-12
• Subjects: choristoma -- duplication cyst -- heterotopic gastric mucosa -- tongue; Mouth -- Surgery -- Periodicals; 617.522059
• DOI: 10.1111/ors.12580
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-2471

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Heterotopic gastrointestinal mucosa (HGM) found within the oral cavity has been reported as a rare type of anomaly. It can result in the formation of oral heterotopic gastrointestinal cysts (HGIC) which are thought to be either duplication cysts (surrounded by a muscular wall) or choristomas/heterotopic cysts (no muscular wall). The exact aetiology is poorly understood; they are thought to arise from misplacement or sequestration of the endoderm from the primitive stomach into the anlage of the tongue/developing oral cavity. Methods: We present a rare case of a healthy 37‐year‐old Eastern European gentleman who was diagnosed with HGM of the anterior tongue. A systematic literature review method of PubMed, Embase and Medline was conducted. Results: A systematic review of PubMed, Embase and Medline was conducted, revealing 68 reported cases in the English language. The age range was from newborn to 70 years old, 42/68 cases were reported in infants (1 year or less). Male:Female 1.3:1. Of these patients six reported previous surgery and three reported previous failed aspirations/incision and drainage. In infancy/childhood it usually presents with problems with feeding/swallowing. Clinical Relevance: MRI T2 weighted imaging produces a high signal due to a well‐defined cyst like appearance with imaging appearances being the same in infants as to those in adult patients. The majority of these cases cause feeding and breathing issues in the infant. However, this lesion had remained asymptomatic for over 30 years before causing discomfort with swallowing. This case reveals that these lesions can remain asymptomatic before causing problems in later life and the clinician should be aware of having it as part of a differential diagnosis.