Lingual Osseous Choristoma: A Systematic Review of Lesion Presentation, Histology, and Morphology

INTRODUCTION Osseous choristomas of the tongue are rare, benign tumor-like lesions composed of abnormally placed bone and cartilage tissue. The few publications to date concerning this condition have been primarily limited to case reports. This systematic review aimed to clarify the clinical presentations of osseous choristomas and how to delineate them from other oral pathologies. METHODS The authors utilized PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library reference databases from 1971 to mid-2020. Search terms were “osseous choristoma,” “oral cavity,” and “lingual.” Preferred Reporting Systems for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used to aggregate relevant data from each study. The authors specifically collected data regarding patient demographics, clinical findings, symptoms, treatments, and subsequent outcomes relating to lingual osseous choristomas. RESULTS A total of 35 (14.6% of total identified) publications that met inclusion criteria were identified concerning a total of 69 lingual osseous choristoma cases. Results were compiled focusing on sex and age, presenting symptoms, histology, appearance of the lesion base being most commonly pedunculated (e.g., stalk or stem-like), the lesion’s location on the tongue, and subsequent treatments. Osseous choristomas had a higher rate of occurrence in females, 48 (70%) and those under the age of 40. Symptomatic presentations occurred in 38 (55%) patients, with the most common presenting symptoms being gagging/globus (i.e., lump or foreign body) sensation (n = 47, 68%) and dysphagia (n = 20, 29%). Identified masses were pedunculated in 33 (80%) of cases and eight (20%) were identified as sessile (i.e., immobile). A total of 41 (59%) lesions were more commonly located in the posterior one third of the tongue compared to 28 (41%) in the anterior two thirds of the tongue. Of those 49 (71%) cases requiring surgical mass excisions, recurrence was reported in 0% of cases. CONCLUSIONS Although osseous choristomas are benign processes that rarely arise from the tongue, providers should carefully inspect patients with a gagging/globus sensation and pedunculated mass toward the back of the tongue. Surgical resection remains the best treatment to prevent recurrence.