<![CDATA[Background: Chondrogenic choristoma, also known as cartilaginous choristoma, is a rare benign lesion characterized by the presence of mature cartilage in an anatomically inappropriate location. Although it has been reported in several sites of the head and neck, involvement of the cheek is uncommon and may present a diagnostic challenge because of its morphological similarity to soft-tissue chondroma. Case Presentation: I report a rare case of chondrogenic choristoma of the cheek in a 5-year-old patient evaluated at Bhayangkara Hospital, Palembang, Indonesia. The patient presented with a cheek mass clinically suspected to represent a soft-tissue tumor. The excised specimen measured 1.2 × 0.5 × 0.4 cm. Histopathological examination demonstrated encapsulated, a well-circumscribed lesion composed of lobules of mature hyaline cartilage. The cartilaginous tissue was predominantly hypocellular, with mature chondrocytes located within lacunae and embedded in abundant hyaline extracellular matrix. The chondrocytes showed bland cytological features without significant nuclear atypia or mitotic activity. No necrosis, destructive infiltration, or other malignant features were identified. There was no evidence of osseous involvement in the examined specimen. Conclusion: Chondrogenic choristoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a well-circumscribed cartilaginous mass in the cheek, particularly in pediatric patients. The distinction from soft-tissue chondroma may be challenging on histopathological examination alone and requires correlation with the clinical and radiological findings. Recognition of this rare entity is important to avoid misclassification as a true cartilaginous neoplasm.]]>
