A case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma forming a large cyst in the submandibular gland

Abstract

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a malignant tumor that arises from the ductal epithelium of the salivary gland and is composed of mucus-producing cells, stratified squamous epithelium cells, and intermediate cells. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma commonly occurs in the parotid gland and the palatine gland. We report a case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma that formed a large cyst in the submandibular gland. The patient was a 73-year-old woman who had an elastic soft mass, measuring 70 × 30 mm, in the right submandibular region. The mass was clinically diagnosed as a tumor with a cystic lesion, and the tumor was excised under general anesthesia. The present case was histopathologically diagnosed as a low-grade malignant mucoepidermoid carcinoma. There has been no evidence of recurrence as of 3 years 6 months after the operation.