Benign neoplasms and tumor-like lesions of the tongue are relatively rare entities, encompassing a heterogeneous spectrum of morphological alterations. The recent literature focusing on benign tumors and tumor-like lesions of the tongue is relatively limited, which may lead to a gap in understanding their specific imaging characteristics. Most benign tongue tumors usually appear as submucosal bulges located in the deep portion of the tongue. Both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are essential for the comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of these entities. Cross-sectional imaging plays a pivotal role in narrowing the differential diagnosis and, in selected cases, may suggest a specific histopathological entity. The benign tumors and tumor-like lesions included in this review comprise schwannoma, lipoma, angiomyolipoma, hemangioma, vascular malformations, dermoid cysts, and thyroglossal duct remnants (including cystic formations and ectopic thyroid tissue). Additionally, certain non-neoplastic conditions—such as lingual abscesses, infectious mononucleosis complicated by lingual tonsillitis, and fatty atrophy of the tongue—can mimic neoplastic processes and present as mass-like lesions; these have also been addressed in this pictorial essay. The purpose of this work is to illustrate the key CT and MRI features of the aforementioned benign lingual lesions, with the aim of improving diagnostic confidence and accuracy.
舌部良性肿瘤及瘤样病变相对罕见，涵盖形态学改变的异质性谱系。近期聚焦于舌部良性肿瘤及瘤样病变的文献较为有限，可能导致对其特异性影像学特征的认识存在空白。多数舌部良性肿瘤通常表现为位于舌深部的黏膜下隆起。计算机断层扫描（CT）与磁共振成像（MRI）对于全面诊断评估此类病变均至关重要。横断面成像在缩小鉴别诊断范围方面具有关键作用，在特定病例中甚至可提示具体的组织病理学类型。本文综述涵盖的良性肿瘤及瘤样病变包括神经鞘瘤、脂肪瘤、血管平滑肌脂肪瘤、血管瘤、血管畸形、皮样囊肿及甲状舌管残留（包括囊性结构及异位甲状腺组织）。此外，某些非肿瘤性病变——如舌部脓肿、传染性单核细胞增多症继发舌扁桃体炎及舌脂肪萎缩——可能模拟肿瘤性过程并呈现肿块样表现；本影像学专题亦对此类病变进行探讨。本文旨在阐述上述舌部良性病变的关键CT与MRI特征，以期提升诊断的可靠性与准确性。
CT and MRI Key Features of Benign Tumors and Tumor-like Lesions of the Tongue: A Pictorial Review
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家