Diagnostic dilemma in myoepithelial carcinoma of cheek

Abstract

Myoepithelial carcinoma (MC) is a rare neoplasm of the salivary gland generally occurring in the parotid gland and rarely in the minor salivary glands. It poses a diagnostic challenge on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology because it can show different cell types and lack clear features of malignancy. This can lead to a range of differential diagnosis on cytology. The diagnostic difficulty can be compounded if the lesion is present at an unusual site. A 41-year-old male presented with a recurrent swelling on the check since 2 years with a prior history of pleomorphic adenoma (PA) at the same site 8 years back. FNA was performed and a diagnosis of recurrent PA or myoepithelial cell neoplasm was given. Final diagnosis was made on histology and immunohistochemistry studies and reported as MC of minor salivary gland originating within PA. Pathologist should be aware of the occurrence of MC at the sites of the minor salivary glands in the oral cavity and its wide morphologic spectrum to make a confident diagnosis of MC preoperatively.

Keywords

• Cheek swelling
• fine-needle aspiration
• myoepithelial carcinoma
• salivary gland neoplasm