Lumps are a common manifestation of pathology involving the palatal tissues. These range from salivary gland tumours such as pleomorphic adenoma, basal cell adenoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma or adenoid cystic carcinoma to locally aggressive vascular neoplasms such as Kaposi sarcoma, and haematolymphoid malignancies of either lymphoid, plasma cell, histiocytic/dendritic or myeloid origin. Clinical differential diagnosis is complicated by overlapping clinical presentations which include raised soft tissue lumps, often taking on a blue/ purple appearance, with variability in symptoms and clinical onset.
A 78-year-old male was referred with regards to a mass in the left upper lip. The lesion had been present for a few weeks, and whilst it was not painful the lip appeared swollen and asymmetrical. His medical history was essentially non-contributory. There were no known allergies. He currently smoked eight cigarettes per day, with an estimated 75-pack-year history. He did not consume alcohol on a regular basis.
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