Myoepithelial Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Tongue: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Myoepithelial cell carcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of salivary gland origin that typically presents in the parotid gland and minor salivary glands. It has been described previously in head and neck sites such as buccal mucosa, alveolar ridge, and base of tongue. Methods: A 55-year-old man presented with 30 years of right-sided tongue pain and 10 years of gradually worsening ulceration. Physical examination demonstrated a 2.5 cm ulcerative lesion of the anterior right oral tongue. An initial biopsy was consistent with moderately to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Imaging included a positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scan that demonstrated the right tongue lesion as well as hypermetabolic right level II adenopathy. The patient underwent surgical excision of the right tongue, upper aerodigestive tract endoscopy, and a bilateral supraomohyoid neck dissection. The tongue defect was closed primarily. Results: Final pathology of the surgical specimen demonstrated myoepithelial cell carcinoma. All of the margins were free of tumor and no cervical lymph nodes showed metastasis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated myoepithelial differentiation. The tumor did not show EWSR1 gene rearrangement on genetic testing, suggesting salivary gland origin. Multidisciplinary tumor board evaluation recommended no adjuvant therapy. The patient recovered well after surgery and nearly a year later is without evidence of recurrent or residual disease. Conclusions: We present the first reported case of myoepithelial cell carcinoma with primary origin in the oral tongue and review the available literature on this unusual tumor. We discuss the clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features and treatment of myoepithelial cell carcinoma.

Imaging features of a myoepithelial carcinoma of the nasal cavity: A case report and literature review

“…The tumor typically arises from benign lesions, such as pleomorphic adenomas, and less commonly from myoepitheliomas. In contrast, tumors also arise de novo [ 1 , 2 ].…”

“…Several studies have reported 18 F-FDG FDG findings in patients with myoepithelial carcinomas in different organs [ 1 , [14] , [15] , [16] ]. In a patient with parotid myoepithelial carcinoma, 18 F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated 18 F-FDG accumulation with a SUVmax of 10.1 [15] .…”

“…Myoepithelioma of the soft tissue had increased 18 F-FDG accumulation with a SUVmax of 6.07, suggesting a malignant lesion [16] . Previous studies have reported that 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging demonstrated hypermetabolic lesions corresponding to myoepithelial carcinomas of the tongue and parapharyngeal space [ 1 , 17 ]. In contrast, pulmonary myoepithelial carcinoma had very subtle 18 F-FDG accumulation, with a SUVmax of 1.2 [14] .…”

“…Most tumors are benign, known as myoepitheliomas, but some are malignant. The latter entity has been termed malignant myoepithelioma or myoepithelial carcinoma [ 1 , 2 ]. Myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare malignancy predominantly derived from the salivary glands and palate.…”

Carcinoma Mioepitelial Ex-Adenoma Pleomórfico de Glándula Parótida: Reporte de un Caso y Análisis Inmunohistoquímico

“…El carcinoma mioepitelial es una rara neoplasia maligna de las glándulas salivales; puede originarse de novo o desarrollarse en un adenoma pleomórfico pre-existente o un mioepitelioma (Savera & Zarbo, 2004;Rammeh-Rommani et al, 2007;Nicholas at al., 2019;Xu & Katabi, 2021;Santana et al, 2022). Su tratamiento consiste en la extirpación quirúrgica con márgenes libres, combinada por lo general a radioterapia posoperatoria (Ibacache et al, 2014).…”