title: An unusual cribriform variant of salivary basal cell tumours: a clinicopathological study of 22 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of salivary basal cell tumours exhibiting cribriform architecture, and to discuss the differential diagnosis of these tumours with regard to adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen basal cell adenomas (BCAs) and four basal cell adenocarcinomas (BcACs) with at least a 10% area of cribriform morphology were collected, and the histological and immunohistochemical features were evaluated. The majority of tumours showed the typical histological patterns of basal cell tumours, in addition to cribriform architecture. In some areas, the periphery of cribriform nests had a palisade arrangement. Focal capsular infiltration, but not invasion of surrounding normal tissue, was detected in 14 of 18 BCAs. The capsules were absent or incomplete and mainly accompanied by focal invasion in BcACs. Cystic degeneration was observed in 12 of 22 tumours. The Ki67 labelling index of basal cell tumours was significantly lower than that of cribriform AdCCs (P = 0.001). All patients had a good outcome after a follow-up of 15-96 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cribriform variant shares most of the clinicopathological features of conventional basal cell tumours. Admixtures of cribriform and trabecular or tubulo-trabecular subtypes, peripheral palisading, cystic changes, non-invasive or low-grade invasive growth patterns and a low Ki67 labelling index may be useful for distinguishing basal cell tumours with a cribriform architecture from AdCCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, School of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lizhen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chunye
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053533:Keratin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000096985:Calponins
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D053533:Keratin-8; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D000096985:Calponins; C426203:KRT8 protein, human