Background:
Lipomas are benign mesenchymal tumors of soft tissue that can be found anywhere in the body: However their presence in oral cavity is very rare (4.4%). Histopathologically lipomas are classified as simple lipomas and different variants. The present study describes the prevalence of oral lipomas with relation to patient’s age, their site of occurrence and histological pattern in Indian population.

Methods:
All cases of oral lipomas reported in the department of oral pathology and microbiology, N.I.M.S dental college Jaipur (India) from 2005 to 2017 for age, gender, site of occurrence, histopathological pattern and treatment mode were reviewed. The published case reports of oral lipomas reported in Indian patients from 1976 – 2017 also reviewed through pubmed by using MeSH word; oral lipoma and combined the data with the data of present study to analyze the prevalence and histopathological characteristic of oral lipomas in Indian population.

Results:
Total of 23 (14 males and 9 females) cases included in the study. The mean age was 34.3 years (range 17 – 71). The specific sites involved were buccal mucosa (n = 9) Tongue (n = 5) buccal vestibule (n = 2) Lip (n -= 3) Floor of mouth (n = 1), palate (n = 2) and retro molar pad (n = 1). Histopathological examination revealed 11 cases were diagnosed as simple lipoma, 6 cases were fibrolipoma, 2 cases were angiolipoma, 1 case each of osteolipoma, myxolioma, angiomyxolipoma and hibernoma. All cases treated with surgical excision only one case showed radiographical sign. This data was combined with the data of published cases (pubmed) of oral lipoma in Indian population.

Conclusion:
Oral lipomas are rare neoplasms of oral cavity; only 49 published cases have been found from 1976 – 2017 in Indian population. Oral lipoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis of oral soft tissue swelling. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice for all such tumors.