AN UNUSUAL CASE OF MUCOEPIDERMOID CARCINOMA MIMICKING A SIALOADENOMA PAPILLIFERUM: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

The present study describes a mucoepidermoid carcinoma that clinically presented as a papillary lesion. A 52-year-old woman was referred to evaluate a lesion in the palate. Intraoral exam showed a nodular lesion, delimited, with exophytic surface, associate with a smooth and translucid bubble, in the soft palate near to the left retromolar region. Diagnostic hypotheses were sialoadenoma papilliferum, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and papilloma. An incisional biopsy was performed. Histologic sections showed a fragment of epithelium with papillary projections, with proliferation towards connective tissue presenting nests of cells with pleomorfism, and cystic areas with basophilic material positive for PAS. The diagnosis was mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The patient was treated with surgery and is undergoing clinical follow-up without signs of recurrence. Because the clinical and histologic features were similar to papillary sialoadenoma, the present study discussed a possible malignant transformation of papillary sialoadenoma to a low degree mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The present study describes a mucoepidermoid carcinoma that clinically presented as a papillary lesion. A 52-year-old woman was referred to evaluate a lesion in the palate. Intraoral exam showed a nodular lesion, delimited, with exophytic surface, associate with a smooth and translucid bubble, in the soft palate near to the left retromolar region. Diagnostic hypotheses were sialoadenoma papilliferum, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and papilloma. An incisional biopsy was performed. Histologic sections showed a fragment of epithelium with papillary projections, with proliferation towards connective tissue presenting nests of cells with pleomorfism, and cystic areas with basophilic material positive for PAS. The diagnosis was mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The patient was treated with surgery and is undergoing clinical follow-up without signs of recurrence. Because the clinical and histologic features were similar to papillary sialoadenoma, the present study discussed a possible malignant transformation of papillary sialoadenoma to a low degree mucoepidermoid carcinoma.