BASAL-CELL ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE SUBMANDIBULAR-GLAND

Basal cell adenoma is a well recognized histopathologic variant of mon omorphic adenoma of salivary gland, but in recent years there have bee n occasional reports of malignant basal cell tumors of major salivary glands. We present a case report of one such basal cell adenocarcinoma arising in the submandibular gland and discuss the differential diagn osis and distinction from a basal cell adenoma. We also review the pub lished literature on basal cell adenocarcinoma. This is the first case of basal cell adenocarcinoma to be studied in detail by both immunohi stochemistry and electron microscopy. There has been debate in the pas t as to the cell of origin of salivary gland basal cell tumors and spe cifically as to whether myoepithelial differentiation occurs in these tumors. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of this c ase provide evidence for a dual population of ductal and myoepithelial cells. A flow cytometric analysis of nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid co ntent showed the presence of DNA aneuploidy within one tissue block.