Adenoid cystic carcinoma of buccal mucosa: A report of two rare cases and review of literature

Surgical management of patients with distant metastasized adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck

BACKGROUND

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and malignant tumor of the salivary glands. Despite its slow-growing nature, this clinical entity is notorious for presenting with distant metastasis (DM) which significantly worsens patient outcomes. The role of surgery in patients with ACC and distant metastasis (DM) remains controversial.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 47 patients with ACC who underwent surgery for the primary tumor and presented with DM at baseline or developed DM during follow-up. We compared survival outcomes between patients with DM at baseline (Group A) and those who developed DM during follow-up (Group B).

RESULTS

The median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 88%. Patients with DM at baseline (Group A) had significantly worse OS (51%) compared to those without DM at baseline (Group B) (91%; P = .04). Local recurrence (LR) was associated with poor survival in both groups. However, salvage surgery for LR+DM was associated with improved OS compared to palliative treatment (100% vs 77%; P = .79).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that surgery for the primary tumor of ACC may provide survival benefits in patients with DM. Salvage surgery should be considered particularly for patients who develop local recurrence and distant metastasis during follow-up.

[Misdiagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma of oropharynx: a case report]

Adenoid cystic carcinoma usually occurs in the salivary glands of the head and neck. It is a malignant tumor with a high degree of malignancy, resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy and poor prognosis. The clinical course of adenoid cystic carcinoma is slow and easy to be misdiagnosed. The main diagnosis and treatment means are individualized and precise treatment under the multi-disciplinary consultation mode, that is, surgical treatment and radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Adenoid cystic carcinoma is prone to relapse and hematologic metastasis, and the traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy based therapies have not achieved satisfactory efficacy in the past three decades. How to detect, diagnose and treat early is an urgent task faced by clinicians.

Unusual presentation of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) on lip mimicking mucocele: A rare case report with review

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare, slow-growing low-grade malignant salivary gland tumour with high recurrence. It accounts for 1% of all malignant tumour of the oral and maxillofacial region. A high incidence of cases occurs between the fifth and sixth decades of life. Surgical excision with required radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combined therapy are possible treatment choices. In this present case, a 36-year-old male patient was diagnosed with ACC on the upper lip. The clinical presentation of this lesion resembled mucocele. There are only a few cases reported of ACC involving the lip. Complete surgical removal was done under local anaesthesia, and post-operative healing was uneventful. After 6 months of follow-up, no sign of recurrence was observed.