Sinonasal epithelial-Myoepithelial carcinoma-A rare entity

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare salivary gland tumor. It comprises less than 1% of all salivary gland tumors. It generally arises from the parotid gland. Unusual sites of occurrence include sinonasal tract, lung, trachea, lacrimal gland and breast. Histopathologically epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma comprises a dual population of ductal and myoepithelial cells. We report an extremely rare case of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma occurring in the sinonasal tract of young man.     

涎腺癌颈淋巴结转移的临床分析

目的 了解涎腺癌颈淋巴结转移的发生情况,为临床治疗提供参考.方法 选择北京大学口腔医学院具有完整临床及随访资料的涎腺癌患者815例,记录颈部淋巴结转移情况,分析涎腺癌的颈淋巴结转移的发生规律.结果 815例涎腺癌患者的总体颈淋巴结转移发生率11.53%(94/815).颈淋巴结转移发生率位列前3位的肿瘤分别是鳞状细胞癌...     

Immunohistochemical detection of E-cadherin in certain types of salivary gland tumours

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the topography of E-cadherin and its possible correlation with the histological phenotype of salivary gland tumours. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of 54 benign and 56 malignant tumours and 24 samples of normal and inflamed salivary gland tissue were studied immunohistochemically using an Envision/horseraddish peroxidase (HRP) technique. RESULTS: In normal and inflamed salivary gland samples, E-cadherin was expressed at the membrane of acinar, myoepithelial and ductal cells located at cell-cell contact points. Reduction and/or absence of E-cadherin was only observed in pleomorphic adenoma at the peripheral cells of the duct-like or island structures, or in the cells exhibiting plasmacytoid or stromal differentiation. Neoplastic epithelium in Warthin's tumours and in myoepithelial and oncocytic adenomas was strongly positive. Furthermore, a weak to moderate loss of expression which was related to tissue tumour subtype was seen in malignant tumours such as: adenoid cystic carcinomas; polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinomas; acinic cell carcinomas; and mucoepidermoid low-grade, epithelial-myoepithelial, lymphoepithelial and squamous low-grade carcinomas. Moderate to extreme loss or alternative cytoplasmic non-functional expression were observed in cases of salivary ductal carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, myoepithelial carcinoma, oncocytic adenocarcinoma, unspecified adenocarcinoma and squamous high-grade carcinomas. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a direct association of E-cadherin expression with neoplastic histologic phenotype, which is lost in the more undifferentiated and invasive epithelial salivary gland tumours.     

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the salivary gland

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of salivary gland is a rare tumor only recently described in the English language literature. This paper adds four new cases to the 30 which have previously been reported. The clinical presentation of this unusual neoplasm is documented in the accompanying case reports and the appropriate surgical management outlined. Follow-up ranges from six months to 12 years. The histopathological characteristics of this interesting tumor, in particular its classical biphasic cellular appearance, are described in detail both by light and electron microscopy. On the basis of histologic appearance and biological behavior, the authors postulate that epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is an uncommon variant of adenoid cystic carcinoma.     

Adenoid cystic carcinoma secondary to heterotopic salivary gland tissue of the cervical lymph nodes

BACKGROUND: The presence of heterotopic salivary gland tissue in intra-, periparotideal and cervical lymph nodes is not an uncommen finding. In some rare cases the salivary gland inclusions in lymph nodes may undergo neoplastic transformation. PATIENT AND METHODS: An isolated and indolent tumor was detected in level III in the right cervical area in a 60 year-old male patient. The histological assessment of the extirpated node seemed to indicate lymph node metastasis of an adenoid cystic carcinoma. The radiological and endoscopic findings did not reveal a primary tumor. RESULTS: Due to the fact of missing of a primary tumor, the diagnosis of an adenoid cystic carcinoma in heterotopic salivary gland tissue of the cervical lymph node was established after long-term observation. CONCLUSION: After exclusion of an occult carcinoma of the salivary glands, the possibility of malignant transformation of heterotopic intranodal salivary gland inclusions should be considered in patients suffering from salivary gland carcinoma in the area of the cervical lymph nodes.     

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma: An unusual tumor of the paranasal sinus

A 65-year old woman presented with nasal obstruction and on examination was found to have a huge mass in the maxillary sinus. This was removed, and histological examination revealed a mixture of trabecular structures consisting of inner dark cells, outer clear cells and solid structures consisting of only clear cells. Immunohistochemical examination showed the clear cells to be positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin. Ultrastructural examination confirmed the myoepithelial cell origin. The characteristic morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features aided in the diagnosis of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma.     

Hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue

Clear cell carcinoma of the salivary glands is a rare tumour that represents less than one per cent of all salivary tumours. They are divided into a biphasic, epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma and a monophasic pattern which may be myoepithelial or ductal in origin. The latter is accompanied by prominent fibrohyaline stroma and has been described recently as hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC). Most of the HCCC occur in the oral cavity, and are associated with minor salivary glands, unlike the biphasic pattern which is more common in the major salivary glands. In the oral cavity, the commonest site is the palate followed by the lips and the buccal mucosa. Its occurrence in the oropharynx and the larynx is extremely rare.     

涎腺上皮-肌上皮癌的病理特点及治疗

目的总结并探讨涎腺上皮一肌上皮癌的病理学特点及治疗方法。方法回顾分析1964至2004年14例涎腺上皮一肌上皮癌患者的病理和临床治疗资料，其中腮腺8例，硬腭2例，颌下腺3例，鼻腔1例。1例行姑息性放疗，13例行根治性手术，3例行术前诱导化疗，6例行术后放疗。结果涎腺上皮一肌上皮癌好发于腮腺，颈部淋巴转移率1428％（2／14），采用Kaplan-Meier法行生存率分析，3年、5年及10年累积生存率分别为67．20％、45．49％、17．06％。肿瘤由内层腺上皮细胞和外层透明肌上皮细胞构成为主要特点，免疫组化示细胞角蛋白、S-100蛋白及肌动蛋白呈阳性反应。结论涎腺上皮-肌上皮癌治疗后容易复发，对放疗和化疗有一定敏感性，宜采用以手术为主的综合治疗。     

Major salivary gland disorders in children and adolescents

The aim of this study was a review of 67 children treated for salivary gland tumors in the ENT Department Medical University of Gdańsk since 1974 to 2008. In that group we observed 52 children with tumor of the parotid gland, 13 with tumor of submandibular gland and 2 with subligual gland tumors. Tumor-like lesions were stated the largest group of tumors and were observed in 33 (49%) of children, mainly of chronic sialadenitis (17 cases). Predominant number of tumors was observed in scholarship children. The most common symptoms were slow enlargement of tumor and swelling of the salivary gland. In the group of benign tumors most common was pleomorphic adenoma (19 cases) and in the group of malignant tumors most common was clear cell carcinoma (2 cases) and rhabdomyosarcoma (2 cases). In this report the authors describe basic epidemiological and clinical data (age, sex, duration of symptoms, histological structure of tumor, diagnostic methods, methods and results of treatment) and observations connected with differences of salivary gland tumors in that group of patients.     

Ausgewählte aspirationscytologische Befunde bei einigen Tumoren im Bereich der Mundhöhle und der Speicheldrüsen

Summary The diagnostic usability of the fine-needle-aspiration-biopsy-cytology is demonstrated in 6 selected cases of salivary gland lesions and tumors in the oral cavity. For this purpose the cytological findings of an adenoid-cystic carcinoma and a mucoepidermoid tumor of the salivary gland as well as a myxoma, a giant cell epulis, a meningeoma and a metastasis of a hypernephroid carcinoma of the kidney in the oral cavity are shown and compared with the corresponding histological pictures.     

Squamous cell carcinoma in the area of the parotid gland. Metastasis or primary tumor?

A total of 61 patients with a histological diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the parotid gland were studied. The patients were classified into three categories. There were 34 patients with a metastasis to the parotid gland from a squamous cell carcinoma elsewhere within the head and neck who presented on average 2.1 years (range 3 months to 7 years) after diagnosis of the primary tumour; in one case a salivary gland tumor presented 32 years after irradiation of a squamous cell carcinoma of the temple. Six patients had histological evidence of a metastasis within the parotid gland, but no evidence of a primary tumour. Twenty-one patients presented with a primary epidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland. Two patients showed a primary squamous cell carcinoma of the parotid arising in myoepithelial sialadenitis.     

Hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma arising from the base of the tongue

Hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma is a low-grade indolent and rare salivary gland tumor originally described by Milchgrub et al. in 1994. We herein report a case of this tumor of the base of the tongue. A 66-year-old Japanese woman presented with a large painless mass in the throat. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 40x30-mm well-defined ovoid tumor arising from the base of the tongue. She underwent tracheostomy followed by a resection of the tumor via the transmandibular approach combined with a right-sided supra-omohyoid neck dissection. Because the tumor invasion of the surrounding tissue was limited, the surgical defect at the base of the tongue was relatively small, and no reconstructive procedure needed to be performed. The tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma of the minor salivary gland. Her postoperative clinical course was uneventful. No aspiration or difficulty upon deglutition was recognized when she started transoral ingestion on the eighth postoperative day. The patient is currently free from disease 21 months after surgery. The pathology, clinical characteristics, and treatment of hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma are bibliographically reviewed.     

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland: a case report and review of the cytological and histological features.

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC) is a rare biphasic tumour of the salivary glands typically arising in the parotid. Fine needle aspiration cytology is widely used in the initial investigation of salivary gland swellings and whilst the cytological features of this tumour have been described they are not well recognized. This report describes the clinicopathological features of a case of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland and highlights the importance of awareness of this tumour in the differential diagnosis of biphasic tumours on fine needle aspiration cytology.     

Vimentin as a marker of myoepithelial cells in salivary gland tumors

Summary Thirty-six salivary gland tumors from the Surgical Oral Pathology Service of the University of São Paulo, School of Dentistry, have been examined by immunostaining, using commercially available antibody to vimentin. The samples analyzed included tumors in which the participation of myoepithelial cells as a tumoral component has been postulated, i.e., pleomorphic adenoma, myoepithelioma, epithelial-myoepithelial adenoma, monomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, and polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma. Our results strongly support the view that vimentin is one of the earliest indicators of neoplastic myoepithelial differentiation.     

Clinicopathological study of undifferentiated carcinoma of the parotid gland

OBJECTIVE: Undifferentiated carcinoma of the salivary gland is a rare malignant tumor, and is difficult to distinguish from other poorly differentiated types of carcinoma or sarcoma. The present study investigated clinical and pathological characteristics for undifferentiated carcinoma of the parotid gland. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients with previously untreated carcinoma of the major salivary glands were treated at our institution between 1986 and 1999. Of these, five patients (two males, three females) were diagnosed with undifferentiated carcinoma of the parotid gland and treated. For histological reinvestigation, multislices of resected specimens were made and diagnosed. RESULTS: Although all patients were treated by radical surgery (more than subtotal parotidectomy), all died of distant metastasis, including two patients with locoregional relapse. Tumors in these two patients included a small portion of poorly differentiated epidermoid or mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The remaining three patients did not show any differentiated portions, and histological findings demonstrated heterogeneous patterns of lymphoepithelial carcinoma, small cell carcinoma and unclassified (a pattern of malignant hemangiopericytoma), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Investigation using multislice sections is needed to diagnose undifferentiated carcinoma of the salivary glands. Regarding prognosis, carcinoma that is too poorly differentiated but including slightly-differentiated portions should be considered undifferentiated carcinoma. All patients died of distant metastasis despite radical surgery, suggesting that chemotherapy is needed to improve patient outcomes.     

Plattenepithelkarzinom in einer Gangzyste der Glandula submandibularis

Squamous cell carcinomas are rare malignant tumors of the major and minor salivary glands in the head region. This is the report of a squamous cell carcinoma within a cyst of the submandibular gland. Clinical, histological and immunohistochemical findings are presented, and the importance as well as the therapeutic strategy of this very rare malignant tumor of the salivary glands are discussed.     

Distant metastases from salivary glands cancer.

Patients who present with malignant salivary glands should at their initial assessment have an X-ray of the chest to exclude the possibility of distant metastases. Patients who have other symptoms, bone pain etc., should be appropriately investigated. The likelihood of patients developing distant metastases is associated with high-grade tumors, most commonly adenoid cystic carcinoma, high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, salivary duct carcinoma and tumors sited in the submandibular gland, posterior tongue and pharyngeal tumors. Patients who have had a high-grade tumor treated and survived without locoregional recurrence have the same risk of developing distant metastases as those patients who have locoregional recurrence. Other histological types of salivary tumors are associated with a lower risk of developing distant metastases but a real risk remains lifelong. It is recommended that all patients who have a malignant salivary gland tumor treated, any histology, should be followed up and clinically assessed at least once every 12 months for life.     

Distant metastasis of parotid gland tumors

The incidence of distant metastasis in head and neck cancer and especially in salivary gland cancer is relatively low in comparison to other malignancies. However, the presence of distant metastasis heralds a poor prognosis in head and neck cancer, with a median survival of 4.3-7.3 months. Treatment of these patients is usually performed in a palliative setting. Patients with malignant salivary gland tumors should have an X-ray or CT scan of the chest at their initial assessment to exclude the possibility of distant metastasis. The likelihood of developing distant metastasis is associated with high-grade tumors, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma, salivary duct carcinoma, high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and tumors located in the submandibular gland, posterior tongue and pharyngeal tumors. A lower risk of developing distant metastasis is known for all other histological entities of salivary gland tumors. Nevertheless all patients who have a histologically confirmed malignant salivary gland tumor should have lifelong follow-up. On the basis of a clinical case regarding a patient with metastatic parotid gland cancer we present a review of the literature.     

Distant metastasis of parotid gland tumors

The incidence of distant metastasis in head and neck cancer and especially in salivary gland cancer is relatively low in comparison to other malignancies. However, the presence of distant metastasis heralds a poor prognosis in head and neck cancer, with a median survival of 4.3–7.3 months. Treatment of these patients is usually performed in a palliative setting. Patients with malignant salivary gland tumors should have an X-ray or CT scan of the chest at their initial assessment to exclude the possibility of distant metastasis. The likelihood of developing distant metastasis is associated with high-grade tumors, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma, salivary duct carcinoma, high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and tumors located in the submandibular gland, posterior tongue and pharyngeal tumors. A lower risk of developing distant metastasis is known for all other histological entities of salivary gland tumors. Nevertheless all patients who have a histologically confirmed malignant salivary gland tumor should have lifelong follow-up. On the basis of a clinical case regarding a patient with metastatic parotid gland cancer we present a review of the literature.