Korean J Cytopathol.  2002 Jun;13(1):28-32.

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Malignant Myoepithelioma of the Salivary Gland: A Case Report

• Lee JH
• Park JK
• Hur B

Abstract

Malignant myoepithelioma (myoepithelial carcinoma), is a very rare malignant epithelial neoplasm accounting for less than 1% of all salivary gland tumors and has an intermediate malignant potential. We report a case of malignant myoepithelioma arising in the left parotid gland in a 54-year-old man, which was difficult to differentiate from pleomorphic adenoma and other malignant salivary gland neoplasms. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the parotid gland showed cellular smear, composed of overlapped sheets and clusters or individually scattered tumor cells without any acinic or ductal structures. The tumor cells were rather uniform, with distinct cell borders and moderate amount of cytoplasm. The eccentrically located nuclei were oval to round and pleomorphic and showed prominent nucleoli. A few clear cells were noted in the cellular aggregates. Metachromatic matrix was seen between individual tumor cells in a lacelike fashion, resembling pleomorphic adenoma. According to the immunohistochemical staining, we recognized that the component cells are myoepithelial in nature, showing reactivity for the S-100 protein, vimentin, and actin.

Keyword

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC); Parotid gland; Malignant myoepithelioma

MeSH Terms

Actins
Adenoma, Pleomorphic
Biopsy, Fine-Needle*
Carcinoma
Cytoplasm
Humans
Middle Aged
Myoepithelioma*
Parotid Gland
S100 Proteins
Salivary Gland Neoplasms
Salivary Glands*
Vimentin
Actins
S100 Proteins
Vimentin