Cystic lesion of the parotid gland with squamous metaplasia mistaken for squamous cell carcinoma. A case report.
BACKGROUND
The diverse range of diseases that affect the salivary glands may lead to problems and pitfalls in cyto-diagnosis. While false negative diagnosis of cystic salivary gland tumors is well known, false positive cytodiagnosis in nonneoplastic salivary cysts is less well documented.


METHODS
An 85-year-old female presented with a painless left parotid gland swelling of three months' duration. Fine needle aspiration cytology yielded fluid, smears of which showed keratinizing squamous cells with nuclear atypia leading to a cytologic diagnosis of cystic squamous cell carcinoma. A total radical parotidectomy followed. Histopathologic study showed cystic dilatation of many of the salivary ducts, which were lined with metaplastic squamous epithelium that showed atypia. There was no evidence of squamous cell carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Squamous metaplasia is known to occur in benign salivary gland lesions, such as pleomorphic adenoma and Warthin's tumors, as well as in salivary duct cysts and necrotizing sialometaplasia. However, atypical squamous metaplasia of salivary duct cysts mimicking squamous cell carcinoma on cytology is unusual.
Jayaram
G
G
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. jjgj@pc.jaring.my
Pathmanathan
R
R
Khanijow
V
V
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000473:pathology