Dabska tumor of the tongue: A clinicopathological study with confocal laser scanning microscopy

Introduction: Dabska tumor, or papillary intra-lymphatic angioendothelioma (PILA), first described in 1969 by Dabska, is a rare vascular low grade malignancy that usually affects the skin and subcutaneous tissues of infants. Case Report: We report a case of PILA of the right tongue in a 65 years old male patient presenting as a white-bluish multinodular lesion, measuring 4x3 cm. After wide excision, histological examination was carried out with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The histological features seen during optical examination were: thin-walled vascular spaces resembling a cavernous lymphangioma, and the formation of prominent intraluminal papillary tufts with hyaline cores lined by hobnail endothelial cells. The CLSM analysis highlighted muscle infiltration, and high fluorescence of intraluminal papillary core due to the presence of young thin collagen fibers devoid of cross-links. Thus, a final diagnosis of PILA was made. Conclusion: Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis could surely facilitate the histological diagnosis, allowing the identification of some features of the tumor. (This page in not part of the published article.) International Journal of Case Reports and Images, Vol. 6 No. 1, January 2015. ISSN – [0976-3198] Int J Case Rep Images 2015;6(1):46–50. www.ijcasereportsandimages.com Favia et al. 46 CASE REPORT OPEN ACCESS Dabska tumor of the tongue: A clinicopathological study with confocal laser scanning microscopy Gianfranco Favia, Luisa Limongelli, Angela Tempesta, Eugenio Maiorano