Sialolipoma of Hard Palate: A Case Report with an Emphasis on its Cytopathological Features

Sialolipoma, an uncommon variant of lipoma is histologically characterized by benign mature adipocytes with entrapment of salivary glandular tissue. Sialolipomas have been reported in both major and minor salivary glands. An exhaustive review of literature revealed less than 12 cases of sialolipoma affecting the palate have been reported to date. Histopathological features of sialolipomas have been described in detail in the literature; however, the cytopathological features of minor salivary gland sialolipomas have not been discussed. The following report is a case of a sialolipoma that presented as a painless swelling of palate in a 48 year old male. The patient reported no other concerns. A provisional diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma was given on the basis of clinical and radiological feature; however the final diagnosis of sialolipoma was rendered with the correlation of cytopathological and histopathological features. A surgical excision of the lesion was carried out under general anesthesia and the 6 months post operative follow up of the patient was uneventful. The histopathological examination revealed normal benign minor salivary gland tissue entrapped in sheets of mature adipocytes along with areas of oncocytic changes.Keywords: Sialolipoma, palate, minorsalivaryglands, lipoma.