Oral myoepithelioma of soft tissue origin: report of a new case and literature review

Oral myoepithelioma of soft tissue origin, an entity distinct from myoepithelioma of salivary glands, constitutes an extremely rare benign neoplasm, with only 1 previously published case, affecting the tongue of a 22-year-old woman. Ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumour (ECT) also is a very rare benign neoplasm of the oral cavity that has a strong predilection for the anterior dorsum of the tongue. The great similarities in the histologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of soft tissue myoepithelioma (STM) and ECT probably indicate that they refer to the same or closely related pathologic entities. The aim of this paper is to report a new case of STM affecting the dorsal tongue of a 45-year-old man. A review of the relevant literature is made and the relationship between oral STM and ECT discussed.