title: Diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma in a heterotopic salivary gland: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The histologic diversity encountered in pleomorphic adenoma may cause diagnostic difficulty in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA) due to limited and selective sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 40-year-old woman presented with a mass in the anterior aspect of the neck along the sternocleidomastoid muscle. FNA revealed a cellular tumor with a chondrimyxoid background and epithelial cells intermingled with a few mesenchymal cells. The diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma was confirmed on histopathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary ectopic pleomorphic adenoma can confidently be diagnosed by FNA. This technique is a useful tool in the initial assessment of the tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: Negar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Azarpira
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khademi
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002828:Choristoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000473:pathology; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology