Vascular anomalies are a heterogeneous group of congenital blood vessel disorders more typically referred to as birthmarks. Subcategorized into vascular tumors and malformations, each anomaly is characterized by specific morphology, pathophysiology, clinical behavior, and management approach. Hemangiomas are the most common vascular tumors. Lymphatic, capillary, venous, and arteriovenous malformations make up the majority of vascular malformations. Arteriovenous malformation of the head and neck is a rare vascular anomaly but when present is persistent and progressive in nature and can represent a lethal benign disease. Here we present a case report of a 25-year-old male patient with arteriovenous malformation involving the base of tongue. 1. Introduction “Vascular malformation” is a generalized term used to describe a group of lesions, present at birth, formed by an anomaly of angiovascular or lymphovascular structures. Vascular malformations occur in approximately 1% of births but majority of these patients do not present for treatment [1]. The high-flow vascular anomalies in the head and neck are arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) [2]. These are the lesions with direct communications between an artery (or arteries) and a vein (or veins) bypassing the capillary bed [3]. AVMs are usually present at birth but commonly manifest in childhood or adolescence. These lesions can occur at any area of the body [1]. They have gradual onset and progression [3]. In the oral cavity, these can present at any site, but most commonly occur on anterior two-thirds of the tongue, palate, and gingival and buccal mucosa [4]. These lesions can be diagnosed by plain radiography, computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, or angiography. Various sclerosing agents and embolization, combined with surgical treatment,are still the most conventional modern approach to treat these lesions [5]. In this paper, we present a case of arteriovenous malformation involving the base of tongue of a 25-year-old male followed by a review of the literature. 2. Case Report A 25-year-old male patient with a noncontributory medical history reported to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology with the chief complaint of multiple swellings on left side of face and inside the mouth. The swellings were not associated with any pain and had gradually increased to the present status. A similar swelling was revealed on the back of his father. Extraoral examination revealed no significant facial asymmetry. The swelling was poorly defined and had increased in size in a dependent
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