Brain metastases from oncocytic carcinoma of the submandibular gland

Aims: To report a case of an oncocytic carcinoma of the submandibular gland metastatic to cerebellum. Case: A 65-year-old male was referred with metastatic brain tumour of unknown origin. There were multiple brain tumours in the cerebellum and the largest tumour was enucleated at the former hospital. The diagnosis of the brain tumour was suspected of metastasis of salivary gland tumour. Physical examination revealed a hard and enlarged submanibular gland, which he had first noticed 3 years ago and has been slowly increasing in size. The CT scan showed an ill-defined mass with non homogeneous and increased density occupying submanibular gland. T1-and T2-weighted MR images showed a low to intermediate signal intensity and Contrast-enhanced T1-images showed non homogeneous enhancement within the tumour. MR images of brain showed several tumours in cerebellar hemisphere. The result of biopsy specimen from submandibular gland tumour was oncocytic carcinoma, of which feature was similar to that of the cerebellar tumour. Thus, we concluded oncocytic carcinoma of submanibular gland metastatic to cerebellum. Conclusions: Oncocytic carcinoma is an extremely rare neoplasm of the salivary glands. We reviewed the previous reports in which there is no report on brain metastasis from an oncocytic carcinoma of the salivary glands. The present case calls our attention to brain metastasis from malignant tumour of the salivary glands.