European Journal of Scientific Research - EuroJournals

436 Rahman G.A, Alabi.B.S, Afolabi.O.A, Bramoh.K.T and Buhari.M.O
Figure 1:-Ultrasound of the Sublingual Cyst
He had excision of the mass done under general anaesthesia with cuffed nasotracheal
intubation. Operative findings were a solid well-encapsulated sublingual mass, mainly on the left side
of the frenulum but crossing the midline to the opposite side with elevation of the tongue. The postoperative
period was uneventful except for the mild oedema of the tongue, which completely resolved
by the 6 th post-operative day.
Macroscopically, the excised mass was globular, weighed 100grammes, dark brown,
encapsulated, multinodular in part and appears cystic in other parts. Cut surface mainly solid with a
few cystic parts and a focus of degeneration towards the periphery. Microscopically, it showed closely
packed spindled shaped cells with monomorphic cells with dark staining oval nuclei form palisade
around the eosinophilic filaments (features of Schwannoma). Outpatient visits has been uneventful
nearly four years after the excision with no evidence of recurrence.
Discussion
Schwannoma are usually solitary, encapsulated with whorled arrangement of spindle cells having a
palisade or regimented appearance seen with staring technique and on electron microscopy 10 .
Schwannoma is rarely observed extracranially but intracranially, incidence is reported to be high in the
tongue but extremely rare in the oral floor 7 . Schwannoma cuts across ages 2, 5 , in this report, it occurred
in a male patient in the second decade of life. The presenting complaints were similar to those reported
for sublingual masses but no features of upper airway obstruction in this case probably due to the small
size of the tumour, however, he had dysphagia with superimposed bacterial infection, which improved
with antibiotic treatment.
The clinical examination findings of well-circumscribed, non-tender, sublingual cysts with
tongue elevation are similar to findings elsewhere 11, 6 . The ultrasound findings of a well-circumscribed