A case of papillary cystadenocarcinoma in the upper lip

Abstract

Papillary cystadenocarcinoma is recognized by the World Health Organization (1991) Histological Typing of Salivary Glands Tumors. This lesion rarely occurs in the maxillofacial region. It accounts for less than 0.2% of all salivary gland tumors. We report a rare case of papillary cystadenocarcinoma arising in the upper lip. The patient was a 80-year-old woman with a painless mass in the left upper lip. The lesion was present for about 1 year. The tumor was excised with the surrounding minor salivary glands under local anesthesia. The excised specimen was histologically diagnosed as papillary cystadenocarcinoma, showing invasion to the adjacent minor salivary glands and rupture of the tumor capsule. Because of remaining tumor, additional excision was performed. No sign of recurrence or metastasis has been observed as of about 1 year after operation.