A case of cystadenocarcinoma arising in the apex of the tongue

Cystadenocarcinoma is one example of a rare salivary gland tumor, and the most common its location is the parotid gland. We report a case of cystadenocarcinoma arising in the apex of the tongue. The patient was a 53-year-old woman who was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a tumor of the tongue. The lesion was well-circumscribed, elastic hard, and painless; it was 14 mm in diameter and arose in the apex of the tongue. After a biopsy specimen was obtained and analyzed, adenocarcinoma was diagnosed. Under general anesthesia, partial resection of the tongue was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was cystadenocarcinoma, showing large and small cystic tumors that featured papillary proliferations of cuboidal to columnar neoplastic cells with mucus production. The tumor had proliferated into the surrounding tissue. There was no recurrence or metastasis during the 4 years and 2 months of postoperative follow-up.