Basaloid carcinomas of salivary glands

Three cases of carcinoma of major salivary glands with basaloid morphology are presented. One case was a clear example of a basal cell adenocarcinoma, an uncommon and infrequently recognized, low‐grade tumour of major salivary glands. The remaining two cases showed a higher cytological grade of malignancy but shared some features of basal cell adenocarcinoma. Common features included the architectural pattern and myoepithelial cell differentiation, as demonstrated by smooth muscle‐specific actin positivity, in cells associated with the deposition of extracellular basal lamina‐like material. The relationship between these cases and adenoid cystic carcinoma is discussed.