Dedifferentiation occurring in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the tongue

A 61-year-old man came to the University of Granada School of Dentistry com plaining of a mass involving his ventral tongue. Histopathologic examinatio n of the excised specimen showed adenoid cystic carcinoma in which cribrifo rm and tubular patterns were observed, juxtaposed with an undifferentiated carcinoma, large-cell type. No cervical lymph node metastasis was present, and the patient is alive and free of disease 5 years after treatment. To ou r knowledge, no similar cases have been reported thus far, though other sal ivary gland malignancies have been described in association with undifferen tiated carcinoma, especially in the parotid gland. These neoplasms have bee n highly aggressive, and the adequacy of the primary surgical resection may be critical in determining the ultimate prognosis and survival.