Liposarcoma involving the periodontal tissues. A case report.

Liposarcomas constitute 15 to 20% of all soft tissue tumors. They are extremely rare in the head and neck and in the oral cavity. A 30-year-old patient was seen for a soft, painless mass in the right palate. Through panoramic radiography it was possible to observe a radiolucent area with sharp margins in the right upper quadrant. The lesion, after an incisional biopsy, was diagnosed as a "myxoid liposarcoma." The patient underwent a wide excision of the lesion with bone laminectomy and he is well at a 4-year follow-up. The differential diagnosis included salivary gland tumors and palatal abscess.