Abstract
A case of a 78-year-old woman with adenoid cystic carcinoma occurring in the oral floor was presented. This tumor is highly malignant and occurs frequently in the salivary glands, particularly in the subman dibular gland and the minor salivary glands. Light microscopy showed the tumor to be characterized by small cells in a cribriform or solid arrangement. Electron microscopy revealed the tumor cells to have round to oval nuclei and the cytoplasm to contain relatively well developed mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum. Myoepithelial-like cells were also found. In the present case, it was difficult to determine whether the tumor had originated in the sublingual gland or in the minor salivary gland. The patient underwent a resection of the tumor. Six months after treatment there is no evidence of recurrence or distant metastasis. The histological types, the treatment and the prognosis of this tumor are discussed.
