Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of palatinal glands with exuberant foreign-body giant cell reaction.
A 69-year-old man with a 0.6 cm yellowish polypoid lesion in the lateral soft palate for 2 years is presented. Histological examination of the tumor revealed a small, well-differentiated, mucoepidermoid carcinoma dominated by densely packed cholesterol clefts in association with an exuberant foreign-body reaction with several giant cells. The tumor entity 'mucoepidermoid carcinoma with foreign-body giant cells' might be differentiated from 'mucoepidermoid carcinoma with an osteoclast-like giant cell stromal reaction' because differences in pathogenesis and tumor behavior are assumed.
Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. ngassler@ukaachen.de
Nikolaus
N
Gassler
Martin
M
Erbe
Jörg
J
Caselitz
Andreas
A
Donner
D000368:Aged; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015743:Giant Cells, Foreign-Body / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology