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Mucoepidermoid carcinoma ex Pleomorphic adenoma
Author(s) -
Klijanienko Jerzy,
ElNaggar Adel K.,
Servois Vincent,
Rodriguez Joseph,
Validire Pierre,
Vielh Philippe
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
cancer cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19980825)84:4<231::aid-cncr8>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - mucoepidermoid carcinoma , carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma , pleomorphic adenoma , medicine , adenosquamous carcinoma , pathology , carcinoma , salivary gland , malignancy , adenoma , salivary duct carcinoma , stromal cell , adenocarcinoma , cancer
BACKGROUND In contrast to most major salivary gland malignancies, mucoepidermoid carcinoma has been rarely documented and tentatively accepted as carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma. The authors present the cytologic and clinical findings for six examples of these rare tumors. METHODS The six examples were identified during an extensive review of the authors' salivary gland files, and all were high grade mucoepidermoid carcinomas on histologic evaluation. RESULTS Overall, mucoepidermoid carcinomas cytologically presented as nonspecific high grade malignancies and consisted of highly malignant cells, in clusters or isolated, that were rarely associated with intracellular and extracellular mucin. In only two cases, a background of cellular and stromal elements consistent with pleomorphic adenoma was identified. CONCLUSIONS Although it is nearly impossible cytologically to distinguish these lesions from other high grade primary or metastatic carcinomas (such as poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas, adenosquamous carcinomas, and salivary duct carcinomas), this limitation is not dramatic, as a cytologic diagnosis of high grade malignancy per se allows for proper preoperative patient management. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 1998;84:231‐234. © 1998 American Cancer Society.