Myoepithelial carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands: a problematic diagnosis.
We report the case of a 77-year-old woman who presented with a 6-year history of pleomorphic adenoma with multiple recurrences. Despite the clinical suspicion of a malignant process, the detection of myoepithelial carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma was not achieved by means of a preoperative biopsy or a frozen section removed intraoperatively, as the lesion only showed mild cytological atypia with no frank malignant features. Only a thorough evaluation of the resected tumor enabled the diagnosis of a malignancy. We discuss the difficulties that may be encountered in attempting to diagnose these rare myoepithelial lesions by means of small biopsy specimens.
Said
Sherif
S
Pathology Department, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA. Sherif.Said@UCHSC.edu
Campana
John
J
D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*