Clinical and pathological analysis of 10 cases of salivary gland epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma.

Abstract

Epithelial–myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC) is a rare neoplasm of the salivary glands. The aim of this study is to review and evaluate clinicopathological features and treatment of EMC of salivary gland for better sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis.The clinical and pathological data of the 10 salivary gland EMC cases from 2008 to 2017 were analyzed.Six cases of EMC were diagnosed to be originated from parotid gland and 4 cases were from the minor salivary gland including palate, tongue, and oropharynx. Seven cases were performed radical surgery and 3 cases had radiotherapy postoperation, 2 cases had a local recurrence. The follow-up period was 4 to 104 months and the survival rate was 100%. Histopathology showed the tumors had a dominant prototypical biphasic tubular structure consisting of inner, cuboidal ductal cells and an outer layer of clear, myoepithelial cells, which grew infiltratively. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed the marker proteins CK, S-100, CD117, and Calponin were strongly positive in most EMC.EMC is a rare and low-grade malignant tumor with good overall survival but relatively high tendency for local recurrence. Surgery is the priority choice for EMC therapy. Complete surgical excision and negative margins are necessary for good prognosis. Imaging techniques should be used to assess the neck dissection and it is unclear whether adjuvant radiotherapy is beneficial. To ensure the sensitivity and specificity of the EMC diagnosis, we should perform both pathological and IHC analysis.