On a routine exam, you notice the oral lesion pictured below. The patient says that it has been there for years, but isn’t painful or otherwise bothersome. What is this finding?
A torus palatinus is a bony overgrowth on the hard palate, which appears as a bony, hard, nodular, lobular, or spindle-shaped mass covered with normal mucosa.
These lesions generally develop during childhood and enlarge slowly over many years. They are quite common, affecting up to 25% of the population.
They are generally asymptomatic and often an incidental finding on exam. Imaging or biopsy should be considered for lesions that are rapidly growing, not located on the midline, or atypical in appearance.