Unusual neoplasm on the hard palate of a child: a case report

BACKGROUND: Myoepitheliomas account for less than 1% of salivary gland tumors. They mostly affect the parotid glands of adults during the third to fifth decades. CASE PRESENTATION: A 10-year-old Indian boy reported a small swelling in the roof of his mouth of 10 days’ duration. History revealed that the lesion was painless and not associated with bleeding or pus discharge. On examination, a purplish well-circumscribed growth was noted on his posterior hard palate. Magnetic resonance imaging was suggestive of a well-encapsulated hemangioma. An excisional biopsy was performed and histopathology along with immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the lesion was a spindle cell variant of benign myoepithelioma. CONCLUSION: Palatal myoepitheliomas are rare and their occurrence in young individuals is rarer.