Mucoepidermoid carcinoma on the palate: a case report

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common salivary gland malignancy. It usually affects the parotid, but it can also affect other parts of oral cavity due to the presence of minor salivary glands. A 53-year-old female patient was referred to our oral pathology service due to a lesion located on the palate, present for 7 months. Intraoral examination revealed a dome-shaped, normochromic lesion, firm upon palpation, not displaying telangiectasis on its surface. The patient presented no pain nor tingling sensation. A clinical diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma was established. Incisional biopsy was performed, and the histopathological analysis showed sheets of epithelioid cells displaying an epidermoid pattern. Abundant areas of clear cells resembling mucous cells were also observed. No mitotic figures were observed. PAS stain was slightly positive. Immunohistochemistry for CK7, CK14, and CK19 were also positive, with the diagnosis being of a mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The patient is awaiting oncologic treatment. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common salivary gland malignancy. It usually affects the parotid, but it can also affect other parts of oral cavity due to the presence of minor salivary glands. A 53-year-old female patient was referred to our oral pathology service due to a lesion located on the palate, present for 7 months. Intraoral examination revealed a dome-shaped, normochromic lesion, firm upon palpation, not displaying telangiectasis on its surface. The patient presented no pain nor tingling sensation. A clinical diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma was established. Incisional biopsy was performed, and the histopathological analysis showed sheets of epithelioid cells displaying an epidermoid pattern. Abundant areas of clear cells resembling mucous cells were also observed. No mitotic figures were observed. PAS stain was slightly positive. Immunohistochemistry for CK7, CK14, and CK19 were also positive, with the diagnosis being of a mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The patient is awaiting oncologic treatment.