[A Warthin's tumor showing extensive necrosis].
Warthin's tumors are one of the most easily recognizable tumors using light microscopy. However, histopathological diagnosis is difficult in a few cases when characteristic cystic cavities with papillary walling and underlying lymphoid stroma are obscured by reactive changes. We describe a case of an extirpated Warthin's tumor of the right parotid gland which demonstrated extensive necrosis, squamous metaplasia and xanthomatous inflammation. No characteristic structure for this tumor was noticed in a section of an initially sampled specimen. As a result, a destroyed fistula was suspected. An additional sampling was performed to confirm the diagnosis and the sampled specimen fortunately demonstrated the diagnostic structure of a Warthin's tumor excluding malignancy. An awareness of the morphological variation seen in this tumor should lead to additional sampling of specimens, thereby preventing erroneous interpretation.
Kimura
M
M
Department of Pathology, Minami Wakayama National Hospital, Tanabe 646-8558.
Takano
T
T
Furuta
T
T
Yoneda
E
E
Hayashi
Y
Y
Satou
T
T
Otsuka
K
K
Hashimoto
S
S
D000235:Adenolymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*