Bilateral Tonsillar Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

Abstract

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumor of the salivary glands. It accounts for less than 1% of all head and neck cancers and less than 10% of all salivary gland neoplasms. It shows slow and indolent growth rate, low probability of regional nodal metastases, high propensity for perineural invasion, multiple and/or delayed recurrences and high incidence of distant metastases. It is the most frequently encountered malignant tumor of the minor salivary glands. The oral cavity and the oropharynx are the most common sites followed by the parotid, submandibular gland, paranasal sinuses, larynx, trachea, and pharynx, in frequency order. In this report an adenoid cystic carcinoma of oral cavity localized in the left palatine tonsil and right peritonsillar tissue was presented.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Palatine Tonsil

“…Adenocarcinomas account for less than 1% of all malignancies of the palatine tonsils [ 3 ], with only a few studies having described the presence of such tumors at this site. The most frequent histological subtypes are represented by adenoid cystic carcinoma [ 13 , 14 ] and polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma [ 12 ]. Regarding MEC, only two cases arising in the palatine tonsils have been described in the literature [ 29 , 30 ].…”

“…Interestingly, despite the presence of minor salivary glands in the palatine tonsils, the development of malignant salivary tumors here is unusual. Indeed, a scarce number of case reports have been documented in the scientific literature [ 12 – 14 ]. The present paper, therefore, aimed to report a case of MEC arising in the palatine tonsil.…”

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

“…It may also be associated with oesophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma [ 46 , 76 , 93 , 96 , 100 , 125 , 187 ]. A rare example of a bilateral ADCC has been reported, appearing synchronously in the left palatine tonsil and the right peritonsillar tissue [ 12 ]. Likewise exceedingly rare, two simultaneous tumours of two different major salivary glands have been described, e.g.…”

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the palatine tonsil: a case report and review of the literature

“…However, malignant salivary gland tumor is uncommon in palatine tonsil and only few cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma and polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma, have been described in the medical literature. [5][6][7] Mucoepidermoid carcinomas show a broad spectrum of clinical behaviour, depending on their clinical staging and histological grading. Low grade tumors exhibit a favourable outcome, usually.…”