Epithelial Inclusion Cyst of the Tongue Clinically Mimicking Tongue Cancer

Epithelial inclusion cysts in the tongue are extremely rare. We describe a case of an epithelial inclusion cyst occurring in the tongue in which it was necessary to differentiate the lesion from a malignant tumor. Clinical observation of the lesion and histopathological findings of biopsy tissue suggested the possibility of a malignant tumor. However, observation after immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67 and p53 ruled out malignancy. The lesion with a margin for safety was excised completely and a follow-up clinical examination at 3 years 4 months revealed no evidence of recurrence.