Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the salivary gland. Fine needle aspiration cytologic findings.

Abstract

A case of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the salivary gland in a 78-year-old patient is presented. Fine needle aspiration cytologic smears showed a moderate number of tumor cells arranged in three-dimensional, well-outlined clusters reminiscent of the ball-like structures of adenoid cystic carcinoma. The nuclei were small and monotonous, with finely granular chromatin and small nucleoli. A large number of cells showed abundant clear cytoplasm; however, in some of the clusters the cytoplasms were very scant, again mimicking adenoid cystic carcinoma. Fragments of pale homogeneous acellular material, isolated or surrounding the cellular clusters, were another conspicuous finding.