Oral tonsil in the floor of mouth : Ectopic oral tonsillar tissue simulating benign neoplasms

Abstract Oral tonsils, ectopic sublingual tonsillar tissue, manifest as an asymptomatic, nonulcerated, freely movable nodule. We present a case of a 28-year-old female with ectopic tonsillar tissue in the anterior floor of the mouth. The lesion was totally removed under local anesthesia. The microscopic examination showed well demarcated and encapsulated lymphoid tissue with lymphoid follicles and central lacuna-like squamous epithelium covering space. These findings are similar to tonsillar tissue, and the case was finally diagnosed as sublingual oral tonsil. This article underlines that oral tonsils occur more frequently than is generally recognized, and the importance of differential diagnosis of soft tissue nodules in the oral floor.