Diffuse Palatal Swelling

Diffuse Palatal Swelling: A healthy woman in her 60s was referred for evaluation of a palatal swelling of unknown duration. She denied any pain or discomfort from the site and stated that the increasing size of the mass was what first alerted her to its presence. What is your diagnosis?




The extraoral examination results were within normal limits, with no evidence of swelling, expansion, trismus, or lymphadenopathy. Intraoral examination revealed a focally ulcerated, fluctuant 2.5 × 2 × 1-cm pink-red submucosal swelling in the right palatal mucosa (Figure, A). The lesion involved almost the entire right side of the hard palatal mucosa and soft palate and terminated at the palatal midline. Imaging studies were unremarkable.