title: Low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma on the vermilion border of the lip.
abstract: We report a case of primary cutaneous carcinoma with mucoepidermoid features located on the vermilion border of the lower lip, at a distance from both salivary glands and cutaneous adnexal structures. The clinical appearance of the present case, which is similar to that of conventional cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, as well as the existence of surrounding areas of actinic cheilitis favors the hypothesis of a phenomenon of mucinous metaplastic change in a squamous cell carcinoma. We consider that, independently of their origin, tumors having mucin-secreting and squamous differentiation ought to be named according to the same criteria generally used for other organs, namely, "low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma" would designate tumors with bland mucin-secreting cells and well-differentiated squamous component, and "high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma" would indicate their less well differentiated counterpart. We propose to reserve the term "adenosquamous carcinoma" for aggressive tumors with high-grade glandular and squamous elements, marked nuclear atypia, frequent mitoses, and extensive necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fernández-Figueras
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fuente
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bielsa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrándiz
mesh_terms: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002613:Cheilitis / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D009077:Mucins