Primary colonic-type adenocarcinoma of the base of the tongue: a previously unreported phenotype

Primary lingual adenocarcinomas are rare and typically of salivary or seromucinous glands origin. Similarly, metastatic adenocarcinoma from distant primary sites to the tongue is an uncommon event, with only three cases from a colonic primary site reported. We present, for the first time, two primary colonic-type adenocarcinomas of the base of the tongue and discuss their putative origin and the clinicopathologic characteristics.