No abstract

SLNB is a safe and accurate diagnostic technique for staging the neck with a negative predictive value in our series of 97.5%. Furthermore, in our series three patients (5%) had positive contralateral neck drainage that would have been missed by conventional ipsilateral neck dissection.

Basal cell adenocarcinoma is a rare and relatively recently characterized malignant salivary gland tumour, the malignant counterpart of basal cell adenoma. Diagnosis depends on finding features similar to adenoma but with an infiltrative growth pattern and exclusion of adenoid cystic carcinoma, sialoblastoma and basaloid squamous carcinoma. Basal cell adenocarcinoma is very rarely reported in minor salivary glands. We report three cases of basal cell adenocarcinoma affecting the labial, buccal and palatal minor salivary glands. One recurred following complete removal but with lesional disruption and further local wide excision appeared curative. A further lesion failed to recur in 5 years' follow-up despite marginal excision and a third after 3 years' follow-up. Basal cell adenocarcinoma is considered a low-grade malignancy, and in the minor glands wide excision and radiotherapy are recommended. However, the reported lesions appear to have a more indolent behaviour than previously reported lesions in minor glands.