ABSTRACT
Introduction: Clear cell carcinoma is a rare low-grade carcinoma that almost exclusively occurs in the minor salivary glands. This tumour is one of the new additions in the recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification of salivary gland tumours. Clinical Picture: A 50- year-old woman presented with a gradually enlarging painless submucosal mass of 3 months’ duration over the left side of the palate. Treatment and Outcome: A preoperative diagnosis of primary clear cell carcinoma of salivary gland with focal surface epithelial dysplasia was rendered after thorough clinical examination to rule out renal origin. The lesions were excised with wide surgical margins and 3 years into the postoperative period, the patient was disease-free. Conclusion: We report a case of clear cell carcinoma of intra-oral minor salivary gland and draw comparisons with metastatic clear cell carcinoma of renal origin.
Clear cell carcinoma is a rare low-grade carcinoma that occurs almost exclusively in the intra-oral minor salivary glands.1-11 Occasional cases have been reported in other sites.3,10-14 Various terms applied to this tumour reflect its histological diversity.1-3,9 The recognition and consequent reporting of this neoplasm increased significantly after the report by Milchgrub et al.3 It is of interest to note that this tumour has been included as a distinct entity in the third World Health Organization (WHO) classification.15 The aim of this article was to report an intra-oral clear cell carcinoma that microscopically closely resembles a clear cell carcinoma of renal origin, making microscopic differentiation difficult.
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