Salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland

Abstract

Salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland is an uncommon tumor, highly aggressive. About 200 cases have been reported in the English literature. Pathomorphologically, these tumors showed great similarities to ductal carcinoma of the female breast, which is why they described this tumor as “salivary duct carcinoma.” The authors describe a new case of salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland. We present the case of a 50-year-old patient with progressive facial paralysis. The MRI examination of the head showed two ill-defined formations. A malignant tumor was strongly suspected, so that a total left parotidectomy with excision of the adjacent facial nerve and left lymph node dissection was performed. Microscopic examination concluded to a salivary duct carcinoma of the left parotid gland negative with Her2/neu antibody with lymph node metastasis. There were no recurrences or metastases within 3 years of follow-up. Salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland is a rare tumor with an aggressive behavior. This is due to its propensity to infiltrate distant organs. The diagnosis is based on microscopic examination. Treatment modalities are non-consensual, but some authors advocate the necessity of aggressive approach, especially in tumors negative with Heur2/neu antibody. This is due to the fact that the overexpression of this antigen was reported to be associated with a poor prognosis.

Pulmonary Tumor Thrombotic Microangiopathy Caused by a Parotid Tumor: Early Antemortem Diagnosis and Long-term Survival

“…SDC most commonly affects men in their fifth and sixth decades of life. It presents as a rapidly growing mass with possibilities of early distant metastases and local recurrence ( 12 ). The treatment modalities are non-consensual because of the limited data and the median overall survival was 3.1 years in one series ( 13 ).…”

Postoperative radiotherapy in patients with salivary duct carcinoma: clinical outcomes and prognostic factors

“…Nevertheless, there are only a limited number of reports about the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy for SDC [8]. It has also been difficult to evaluate the role of adjuvant radiotherapy for SDC, because the incidence of SDC is low [9]. …”

Bone marrow metastases in salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland

“…Due to the rarity and dismal prognosis of SDC, there is a dearth of literature regarding the clinical characteristics, treatment protocols and long-term clinical outcomes. Single institution studies, case series and case reports form majority of the literature 8–14. Parotid gland is commonly involved by SDC.…”