Histologically similar, synchronous or metachronous, lacrimal salivary-type and parotid gland tumors: A series of 11 cases.
BACKGROUND
Restricted presentation of malignancy at both lacrimal and parotid salivary glands are unusual occurrences that may pose clinical and diagnostic difficulties.


METHODS
We applied certain clinicopathological criteria to distinguish between lacrimal and parotid gland primaries in a series of 11 patients with synchronous and/or metachronous tumors of similar histology at both sites.


RESULTS
Of eight patients with primary lacrimal carcinomas, seven had metachronous metastases to parotid glands. All three patients with primary parotid carcinomas had concurrent metastases to lacrimal glands. Patients with primary lacrimal tumors metastasizing to the parotid gland appear to have better clinical outcome in comparison with those with parotid primary with secondary lacrimal metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
Careful examination of parotid glands in the assessment of any lacrimal gland tumor with high-grade adenocarcinoma morphology is recommended to rule out the possibility of a parotid primary.
Klijanienko
J
J
Department of Pathology, Institut Curie, 26, rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.
El-Naggar
A K
AK
Servois
V
V
Rodriguez
J
J
Desjardins
L
L
Schlienger
P
P
Validire
P
P
Vielh
P
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000473:pathology*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000473:pathology*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D016896:Treatment Outcome