Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck

Abstract

Fourteen cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck treated at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of the Ryukyus Faculty of Medicine, were reviewed. The ages of the cases ranged from 26 to 72 years, with an average age of 45.8 years. Of the 14 cases, 7 were male and 7 were female. The average period from the initial symptoms to the first clinical visit was 2.4 years. The adenoid cystic carcinoma was located in the parotid in 4 cases, in the maxillary sinus in 3, and in the hard palate in 2. Eight cases were Stage III or Stage IV at the time their first visit to our department. Of the 14 cases, 12 had radical surgery and those with recurrences were administered radiation of more than 70 Gy. In some cases, chemo-radiotherapy was effective. Surgery in the first instance was recommended to improve treatment results. In cases with a distinct pathological pattern, wide excision and postoperative irradiation proved to be especially important. At the time of this report, eight cases survived without sign of tumor, 4 cases survived with tumor, and 2 cases had died from lung metastasis.