Primary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of minor salivary gland: a case report with immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies

BACKGROUND: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas (LEC) of salivary glands represent rare epithelial malignancies, with most cases affecting the parotid gland. To our knowledge, there was only one LEC arising from the minor salivary gland described in the English-language literature. METHODS: We report the second LEC of the minor salivary gland in the buccal area of a 50-year-old Taiwanese woman, who underwent surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy and remained alive and well after 120 months of follow-up. Histologically, irregular tumor nests of undifferentiated epithelial cells with syncytial cell boundaries were found embedded within rich lymphoplasmacytic stroma. The tumor cells also showed strong c-KIT expression and evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our case suggests potential pathogenic implications of both c-KIT and EBV in LEC of the minor salivary gland that can be cured by the combination of surgery and radiotherapy and has a very favorable long-term prognosis.