Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of the Tongue. Report of a Pediatric Case and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is an uncommon mesenchymal lesion composed of myofibroblastic and fibroblastic spindle cells, accompanied by inflammatory infiltration. IMT may occur in the tongue. Five cases have been previously reported at this site.

CASE REPORT: An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor arose in the tongue of a 10 month old infant, confirmed by anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) immunohistochemical staining and the clinical response to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

CONCLUSIONS

IMT can occur in the tongue. This report highlights the differential diagnosis of IMT. ALK staining is both a helpful diagnostic marker and a predictive marker for targeted therapy in this tumor type.