A case of angiokeratoma of the tongue

Angiokeratoma is a rare cutaneous vascular disorder of the papillary dermis with hyperkeratosis of the epidermis, generally occurring at multiple sites. Although solitary cutaneous forms have been reported, a solitary pattern occurring in the oral cavity is extremely rare. We report the case of a 40-year-old man with a 5 -mm, dark red, localized raised lesion of the tongue. The resected specimen exhibited the pathological characteristics of a typical angiokeratoma. Examinations for VIII factor-relating antigen, CD31, and CD34 revealed negative reactions at the dilated vessels. We review the independent occurrence of angiokeratomas in the oral cavity and discuss the clinical and histological features of this unusual lesion.