PAPILLARY SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY: A CASE REPORT WITH EMPHASIS ON HISTOPATHOLOGIC FEATURES

Papillary squamous cell carcinoma is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma. We describe the case of a 44-year-old female patient with a lesion on the lateral border of the tongue, with reddish color, rugged appearance, softened consistency, and no symptoms. The clinical diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma, and incisional biopsy was performed. Microscopic examination revealed a malignant epithelial tumor characterized by exophytic papillary proliferation of epithelial cells with fibrovascular tissue inclusions. The tumor cells showed hyperchromasia, nuclear atypia, mitotic figures, apoptotic bodies, and evident nucleoli. Mild stromal invasion was seen. Clinicopathologic characteristics led to the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma variant papillary. The patient was referred to the reference hospital of Rio Grande do Norte.