Cystic Salivary Duct Carcinoma Penetrated by Facial Nerve

Abstract

Salivary duct carcinoma is a rare malignant salivary gland tumor that mainly has solid features. When it occurs in the parotid gland, it can invade the facial nerve and cause facial nerve paralysis. However, in our case, the salivary duct carcinoma exhibited cystic features on computed tomographic imaging, and the facial nerve passed through the cyst. Total parotidectomy with level-I to -III dissections was performed and nerve passing through the tumor was sacrificed. The patient received postoperative radiotherapy and was clinically and radiologically followed-up for every 3 months. Recurrence or distant metastasis was not reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case involving a salivary duct carcinoma with cystic features and facial nerve invasion. Here, we report a first case of cystic salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland which uncommonly undergo cystic change and penetrated by facial nerve and successfully resected without causing facial nerve injury.

Salivary Ductal Carcinoma

“…3 When evaluating a tumor in the parotid gland, the index of suspicion for this disease is lower than that of other benign tumors, especially with cystic changes. 4 To the best of our knowledge, SDCs have no capsule and are scirrhous with infiltrative edges; this patient is special. He lived with the tumor for a long time (17 years); the tumor looks smooth with capsule.…”

“…It is a high-risk factor for tumors recurrence and is closely related to the overall prognosis and disease-free survival of patients 3 . When evaluating a tumor in the parotid gland, the index of suspicion for this disease is lower than that of other benign tumors, especially with cystic changes 4 . To the best of our knowledge, SDCs have no capsule and are scirrhous with infiltrative edges; this patient is special.…”