Solitary fibrous tumour of the oral cavity: An update

Background: Solitary fibrous tumour is an unusual neoplasm of the oral cavity that is sometimes not clinically distinguishable from other lesions. The purpose of the present study was to review the clinical, microscopic and molecular aspects of malignant and benign solitary fibrous tumour of the oral cavity currently available in literature. Methods: For our review, an electronic search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Ovid/MedLine, Web of science and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global database. Results: A total of 74 publications reporting 150 cases were included. Oral solitary fibrous tumours are most frequently described as submucosal, well-circumscribed, asymptomatic nodule, more prevalent in females in their fourth to fifth decades of life. Buccal mucosa is the most commonly affected site by the benign tumour variant, whereas the tongue is the most common location affected by the malignant form of the neoplasm. Most of the lesions were treated by conservative surgery. One recurrent malignant tumour and one metastasis are reported. Conclusion: Asymptomatic normal-coloured submucosal nodules located in the buccal mucosa and tongue in adult patients are suggestive of oral solitary fibrous tumour, but only a careful microscopic examination can differentiate benign from malignant variants and the use of immunohistochemistry (CD34, Bcl-2, CD99 and STAT6), and cytogenetic studies (NAB2-STAT6) contribute significantly to confirm the diagnosis of solitary fibrous tumour in difficult cases.