title: Polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma of the parotid gland. Cytological, histological and immunohistochemical features and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma of the salivary glands (PLGA) is a low grade neoplasm that predominantly occurs in the minor salivary glands. In this site is amenable to biopsy and histologic diagnosis. However, experience with cytological findings in these tumors is limited. We describe the cytology of this entity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Touch imprint cytology of a primary parotid PLGA is specified and correlated with histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smears were hypercellular showing branching papillae, sheets and clusters of uniform cells with bland nuclei, dispersed chromatin and no nucleoli. The cells had a scant to moderate amount of eosinophilic cytoplasm. They formed tubular structures containing hyaline globules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cytologic differential diagnosis of PLGA includes adenoid cystic carcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, and monomorphic adenoma. PLGA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of head and neck tumors, where the cytology suggests on of the above mentioned tumors, even when the clinical findings (involvement of a major salivary gland, lymph node metastasis) is not typical of PLGA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology, General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tamiolakis
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thomaidis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsamis
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kariki
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotini
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lambropoulou
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boglou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology