Hamartomas, choristomas and teratomas of the oral cavity: a contemporary narrative review

Authors

  • Vinesh Raj.S Centre of Oral & Maxillofacial Diagnostics & Medicine Studies, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Technology MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • Nur Syahirah Mohd Nazar Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/ijohs.v7i2.499

Keywords:

choristoma, hamartoma, oral cavity, review, teratoma

Abstract

Hamartomas, choristomas and teratomas represent an important group of developmental lesions that may occur within the oral and maxillofacial region. Although each entity is benign in nature, their clinical and histopathological resemblance to odontogenic tumours, soft-tissue neoplasms and other intraoral proliferations frequently results in diagnostic uncertainty. The overlap in clinical appearance among these developmental lesions demands a clear understanding of their biological basis and diagnostic criteria. This review provides an updated narrative synthesis of the current perspectives on hamartomas, choristomas and teratomas of the oral cavity, including their etiopathogenesis, clinical presentations, diagnostic considerations and management.

References

Black, A. I., Bunn, B., Motloba, P., & Gwengu, P. (2024). The head and neck features of Gardner’s Syndrome: a case report and review of the literature. South African Dental Journal, 79, 387-390. https://doi.org/10.17159/sadj.79i06.18335

Chakravarti, A., Shashidhar, T. B., Naglot, S., & Sahni, J. K. (2011). Head and neck teratomas in children: a case series. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 63(2), 193-197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-011-0224-8

Constantin, B. N., Marina, T. C., Eugen, S. H., Ileana, E., & Adrian, G. (2023). Tongue base ectopic thyroid tissue-is it a rare encounter? Medicina (Kaunas), 59(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59020313

de Jesus, I. D. O., Costa, A., de Oliveira Santos, D., Cardoso, S. V., Nero, N., Loyola, A. M., et al. (2025). Clinicopathologic study of oral mucosa-derived hamartomas and choristomas and literature review. International Journal of Dentistry, 2025, 5750421. https://doi.org/10.1155/ijod/5750421

de Souto Medeiros, M. R., da Silva Barros, C. C., Rolim, L. S. A., Pinto, L. P., Miguel, M. C. d. C., & da Silveira, É. J. D. (2024). Hamartomas, choristomas, and teratomas of the oral cavity: a 49-years cross-sectional study in an oral diagnostic service. Journal of Stomatology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 125(5), 101765. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jormas.2024.101765

Fu, Y., Zhao, Y., Chu, T., Qin, Q., Yang, H., Cui, Z., et al. (2024). Case reports of oral choristomas and a review of the literature. Journal of Stomatology Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 125(4s), 101897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jormas.2024.101897

Gabriel Levi, E.-G., Andrew Kevin, G.-H., Fabiola, S.-C., Roberto Onner, C.-T., & Erick, N.-T. (2025). Neurovascular hamartoma of the tongue: Case report and current concepts. Advances in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 18, 100541. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adoms.2025.100541

Glavis-Bloom, J., Nahl, D., Rubin, E. M., Nael, A., & Dao, T. (2019). Congenital neuroglial choristoma of the foot. Radiology Case Reports, 14(6), 718-722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radcr.2019.03.025

Gorini, E., Mullace, M., Migliorini, L., & Mevio, E. (2014). Osseous choristoma of the tongue: a review of etiopathogenesis. Case Reports in Otolaryngology, 2014, 373104. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/373104

Goswamy, M., Tabasum, S., Kudva, P., & Gupta, S. (2012). Osseous choristoma of the periodontium. Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology, 16(1), 120-122. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-124x.94619

Huang, Y., & Pan, H. (2017). A fetus with a mass in the oral cavity: a rare case of oral immature teratoma. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, 10(7), 7890-7892.

Ide, F., Obara, K., Mishima, K., Saito, I., Horie, N., Shimoyama, T., & et al. (2005). Peripheral odontogenic tumor: a clinicopathologic study of 30 cases. General features and hamartomatous lesions. Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, 34(9), 552-557. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0714.2005.00355.x

Kolekar, S. S., Chincholi, T., Nangare, N., & Patankar, R. (2016). Oral teratoma. International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research, 6(1), 54-56. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-516x.174015

Lee, J. I., Kang, S. J., Jeon, S. P., & Sun, H. (2016). Stafne Bone Cavity of the Mandible. Archives of Craniofacial Surgery, 17(3), 162-164. https://doi.org/10.7181/acfs.2016.17.3.162

Leiter Herrán, F., Restrepo, C. S., Alvarez Gómez, D. I., Suby-Long, T., Ocazionez, D., & Vargas, D. (2017). Hamartomas from head to toe: an imaging overview. British Journal of Radiology, 90(1071), 20160607. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20160607

Lohana, C., Jhatial, M. A., Sheikh, F., & Hassan, S. (2020). A rare case of adult mixed germ cell tumor of head and neck. International Journal of Medical Reviews and Case Reports, 5. https://doi.org/10.5455/IJMRCR.Mixed-Germ-Cell-Tumor-Head-Neck-case-report

Maldonado, A., Muñoz, R., Cabrera, J., de Arruda, J. A. A., de Andrade, B. A. B., Villarroel-Dorrego, M., et al. (2025). Heterotopic gastrointestinal cyst of the oral cavity: a rare clinical report and literature review. Journal of Stomatology Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 126(5, Supplement), 102406. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jormas.2025.102406

Marques, L. C., Figueira, L. M., Almeida, L., Rozza-de-Menezes, R. E., Silva-Junior, A., Cunha, K. S., et al. (2022). Congenital sebaceous choristoma of the tongue: a rare case report. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry, 14(5), e446-e452. https://doi.org/10.4317/jced.59451

McDonald, D., Wu, Y., Dailamy, A., Tat, J., Parekh, U., Zhao, D., et al. (2020). Defining the teratoma as a model for multi-lineage human development. Cell, 183(5), 1402-1419.e1418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.10.018

Nava-Villalba, M., Ocampo-Acosta, F., Seamanduras-Pacheco, A., & Aldape-Barrios, B. C. (2008). Leiomyomatous hamartoma: report of two cases and review of the literature. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, 105(4), e39-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tripleo.2007.12.021

Neville, B. W., Damm, D. D., Allen, C. M., & Chi, A. C. (2023). Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Ombres, C. M., Lestadi, I., & Putra, J. (2022). Lingual choristoma with gastric epithelium revisited. Head and Neck Pathology, 16(2), 503-506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-021-01362-0

Patil, S., Rao, R. S., & Majumdar, B. (2015). Hamartomas of the oral cavity. Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry, 5(5), 347-353. https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-0762.164789

Pilarski, R. (2019). PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome: a clinical overview. Cancers, 11(6), 844. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/11/6/844

Sakrikar, A., Agrawal, U., Pimpale, G., & Agrawal, P. (2022). Cartilaginous choristoma of tongue - a case report and review. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 26(3), 395-398. https://doi.org/10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_31_22

Soluk-Tekkesin, M., & Vered, M. (2021). Ameloblastic fibro-odontoma: at the crossroad between "developing odontoma" and true odontogenic tumour. Head and Neck Pathology, 15(4), 1202-1211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-021-01332-6

Soluk-Tekkesin, M., & Wright, J. M. (2022). The World Health Organization classification of odontogenic lesions: a summary of the changes of the 2022 (5th) Edition. Turkish Journal of Pathology, 38(2), 168-184. https://doi.org/10.5146/tjpath.2022.01573

Torres Medina, M. H., Topete, R. F., Villalba, M. N., & Zepeda Nuño, J. S. (2021). Gingival salivary gland choristoma: An unusual case report. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 25(Suppl 1), S90-s93. https://doi.org/10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_284_19

Ueno, S., Hirakawa, H., Matsuda, H., Tei, E., Kaneko, A., Ohta, Y. et al. (2009). A case of neonatal mature teratoma transformed to malignancy in the neck extending to the mouth floor. Tokai Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, 34(4), 130-134.

Walling, A. D. (1987). Ectopic thyroid tissue. American Family Physician, 36(3), 147-150.

WHO, C. o. T. E. B. (2022). Head and neck tumours. Lyon (France): International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2023. (W. M. T. Edward Odell, Susan Muller, Ed. Vol. vol. 9) https://publications.iarc.fr.

Woo, S.-B. (2017). Oral Pathology: A Comprehensive Atlas and Text (2nd ed.). Elsevier.

Zhang, Q., Huang, Y., Bao, C. Y., & Li, L. J. (2013). Yolk sac tumour involving floor of mouth: case report. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 51(5), e67-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2012.04.074

Downloads

Published

2026-07-31

How to Cite

Raj.S, V., & Mohd Nazar, N. S. (2026). Hamartomas, choristomas and teratomas of the oral cavity: a contemporary narrative review. IIUM Journal of Orofacial and Health Sciences, 7(2), 203–211. https://doi.org/10.31436/ijohs.v7i2.499

Issue

Section

Review Article