ABSTRACT
Soft tissue lesions and neoplasms in the head, neck, and oral and maxillofacial regions involve the dermis, subcutis and, skeletal muscle of the head and neck (any tissue between skin and bone). In addition, there are submucosal lesions, intra salivary gland lesions, and those of gingiva, lip, tongue, and palate. Phenotypes, or cell of origin, included in ‘‘soft tissue’’ or mesenchymal lesions include those arising from vessels, fat, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, (myo)fibroblastic cells, and nerve sheath (the latter is covered predominantly in another chapter). There are also bone and cartilage forming tumors, mixed epithelial and mesenchymal, and tumors of uncertain phenotype.
