• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-41
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• 2017

Salivary gland tumors comprise almost 5% of head and neck malignancies, and minor salivary gland tumor which account for 10-15% of all salivary gland neoplasm are infrequently malignant. The mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is second most common tumor in minor salivary gland. It usually presents as a painless, rubbery-hard or soft mass, which may be fixed or mobile into the underlying structure. The predilection sites of intraoral MEC are palate, cheek, mandible, lip, and tongue, etc. There are very few published reports of MEC occurred in retromolar trigone. Only one case has been reported so far. Recently, we experienced a-70-year old man with a mass in retromolar trigone, which was finally diagnosed as MEC. We report the unique case with literature review.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.89-92
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• 2018

Malignant salivary gland tumors only represent 0.08% of all childhood tumors. Especially, nasopharyngeal mucoepidermoid carcinoma(MEC) in pediatric age is an extremely rare malignancy. We hereby report a case of nasopharyngeal MEC in 5 year-old female patient. The patient underwent the complete removal of the tumor by endonasal endoscopic approach. Adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy was not considered. After 3.5 years of follow-up, there are no sign of recurrence and metastasis. Minor salivary gland tumor must be considered as a differential diagnosis of angiofibroma in nasopharynx in pediatric age. To our knowledge, the case we describe is the third case of nasopharyngeal MEC in pediatric age reported in literature.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 1994

Fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology is a widely recognized and useful technique which can provide diagnosis in lesions of the head and neck, enabling appropriate management plans for individual patient to be made. Fifty one fine needle aspirates from salivary gland masses were examined. Four aspirates (8%) were inadequate for examination. Of the remaning 47 samples, 42 cases (82%) were benign lesions which consist of 30 pleomorphic adenoma(58%), 7 inflammatory lesion (14%), 4 Warthin's tumor(8%) and 1 benign lesion(2%). Two cases(4%) were atypical lesions. Three cases(6%) were malignant lesions consisting of 2 adenoid cystic carcinomas(4%) and 1 mucoepidermoid carcinoma (2%). The cytologic diagnoses were compared with the subsequent histologic diagnosis of surgical resected specimen in 24 cases. 19 cases of 21 aspirates from benign tumors were correctly diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology, with a specificity of 90%. All 3 aspirates from the 3 patients with malignant tumor were correctly diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology, with a sensitivity at 100%. Overall acurracy was 88%. Diagnostic error was encountered in adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma and Warthin's tumor Correct histologic diagnosis was made in 86% of benign tumors(84% for pleomorphic adenoma and 100% for Warthin's tumor) and in 100% of malignant tumors.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.498-504
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• 1991

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising in the tracheobronchial tree is an extremely rare tumor. Usually it remains as locally invasive neoplasm, although malignant change is described. Histologically, it is characterized by an admixture of vacuolated, mucus producing cells and sheets of epithelial cells with a cohesive pattern which resemble squamous cells. Its clinical and histopathological behaviors were reported as varying degrees of benign to extremely malignant. We had experienced two young patients with low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the right and left upper lobar bronchi. A 15-year-old man who had had intermittent hemoptysis for 1 year underwent right upper lobectomy. And the other 18-year-old man had suffered from obstructive pneumonitis for 6 months underwent left pneumonectomy. The postoperative courses were uneventful, and the bronchoscopy and chest CT which were done at 6 months later revealed no regional recurrence.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.151-159
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• 1994

Authors experienced a case of intermediate grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma in 29-year-old female. The origin of this tumor might be mucus secreting cells of palatal mucous gland. The characteristic features were as follows: 1. In clinical examination, exopytic mass was observed in left hard palate and similar to pleomorphic adenoma. 2. In radiographic findings, destructive changes of left hard palate, nasal septum, nasal inferior turbinate and floor of maxillary sinus and soft tissue mass were observed. 3. Histopathologically, mucus-secreting cells, epidermoid cells and intermediate cells were observed and diagnosed as intermediate grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.370-374
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• 2016

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common type of malignant neoplasm in the minor salivary gland. The hard palate is a frequently involved site of MEC. The treatment of low-grade MEC on the hard palate is wide local resection with a tumor-free margin. In the present case, the maxillary defect was reconstructed using a buccal fat pad (BFP) flap, followed by application of 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) ointment for 2 weeks. The grafted BFP successfully covered the tumor resection defect without tension and demonstrated complete re-epithelialization without any complications.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 1997

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant neoplasm of the salivary gland, compring between 30 and 40%. Fine needle apsiration cytology was performed in five patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The patients consisted of three males aged of 42, 48, and 60 years, and two females aged 36, and 56 years. The primary tumor sites were the parotid gland in four patients and the submandibular gland in the rest one. The histologic grades were low in one patient, intermediate in two patients and high in other two. In our experience, the common cytologic findings of low grade subtype were predominent mucous cells with some intermediate cells in an abundant mucinous background. The cytologic findings of intermediate grade subtype were predominant clusters of intermediate cells with or without mucous cells in an abundant mucinous background. And the cytologic findings of high grade subtype were predominant clusters of epidermoid cells with intermediate cells in a bloody background. Cytologic pleomorphism and atypia were more severe in high grade than low and intermediate grade, and nucleoli were more frequently noted in epidermoid cells. In low grade, it is very difficult to decide the benignancy or malignancy of the tumor. In fact, the presence of mucous cells in a mucinous background should rule out any other type of well differentiated carcinoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 1993

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung can be divided into low grade and high grade varieties, like their major salivary glands counterparts. This carcinoma comprises only. about 0.5% of all pulmonary neoplasma. Their clinical and biologic behaviors are closely related with histologic grade of carcinoma. We have experienced two cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Case 1 occurred in a 16 years old male and showed the histologic features of low grade type. This carcinoma arised from the right upper lobe bronchus which was removed by the right upper lobectomy. Case 2 occurred in a 41 year old male was the high grade carcinoma located at the distal left main bronchus which was removed by the left pnemonectomy.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.60-67
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• 1990

To evaluate the diagnostic findings of salivary gland tumors, we reexamined aspiration cytology smears of 7 cases of pleomorphic adenoma, 3 cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 3 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, performed during April 1986 to March 1990, which were comfirmed by surgical excision and histologic diagnosis. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 1. All cases of pleomorphic adenoma showed branching cellular clusters of epithelial and myoepithelial cells. Acellular elements including myxomatous and chondroid components were observed. There were no cellular pleomorphism and nucleoli. Keratinizing squamous epithelial cells and keratin pearls were noted. 2. The smears of adenoid cystic carcinoma showed cell bails or cell cords containing a central hyaline core. Nuclear atypism and the nucleoli were frequently observed. There were no keratinizing squamous epithelial cells. 3. The smears of mucoepidermoid carcinoma showed mainly sheets or clusters of intermediate cells and some mucin-producing cells. Some nuclear pleomorphism was observed. Mucinous material and many inflammatory cells were present in the background.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.311-321
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• 1998

Background: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung arises from submucosal gland of tracheobronchial tree. Histologically, the tumor is composed of mucin-secreting cells, squamous cells, and intermediated cells, which show no particular differentiating characteristics, in varying proportions. The tumor is divided into low grade and high grade depending on the proportion of cells, and the degree of the mitotic activity, cellular necrosis and nuclear pleomorphism. While favorable prognosis of low grade tumor, high grade tumor, which is very difficult to differentiate from adenosquamous carcinoma, has an aggressive clinical course. The tumor is rare, comprising 0.1 to 0.2% of primary lung cancers and 1 to 5% of bronchial adenomas. Method: A retrospective clinical study was done on 17 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The study investigated the clinical features, radiologic findings, bronchoscopic findings, histology and clinical courses. Results: Age ranged between second to seventh decade with a mean age of 42 years. Twelve out of 17 cases were male. Five out of 17 cases were smokers with a mean 11 pack-years. Common symptoms included dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, and wheezing. Two out of 17 cases was asymptomatic. Atelectasis or mass was common radiologic finding. Plain chest radiography was normal in one patient whom the tumor was located in upper trachea. Bonchoscopy revealed exophytic mass in 12 cases and nodular infiltrations in 4 cases. One case having solitary pulmonary nodule in the right lower lung was normal on bronchoscopy. Histologically, ten out of 17 cases were low grade, and seven out of 17 cases were high grade. Among 10 patients with low grade tumor,9 patients were performed operation and have been alive without recurrence during a mean follow-up of 30 months. Two out of 7 patients with high grade tumor were performed pneumonectomy and have been alive during a follow-up of 3 and 8 months, respectively. Conclusion: Most of mucoepidermoid carcinoma is located at central airway and is presented symptoms by mucosal irirtation. Although atelectasis or mass is common radiologic finding. chest X -ray can be normal. The histologic grading and the extent of tumor are two most important factors for prognosis.