Abstract
Myoepithelioma is a rare tumor accounting for less than 1% of all salivary gland tumors. Clinically, myoepitheliomas present as slow-growing, painless masses and cannot be distinguished from pleomorphic adenomas.
We report a case of myoepithelioma of the palate. The patient was a 35-year-old man who had a painless mass on the palate. On magnetic resonance imaging, the mass showed slight high signal intensity on T 1-weighted images enhanced by gadolinium-DTPA and high signal intensity on T 2-weighted images. The tumor was surgically removed under general anesthesia. The tumor was well encapsulated by a fibrous membrane. Histologically, the tumor was composed mainly of plasmacytoid cells with eccentric nuclei. Immunohistochemical studies revealed positive reactions for S-100 protein and cytokeratin in the tumor cells. Postoperative observation has revealed no recurrence, as of 1 and a half year after the operation.
