A follicular-type acinic cell carcinoma in the minor salivary gland is an uncommon lesion. We report a case of follicular-type acinic cell carcinoma occurring in the buccal mucosa. A 50-year-old womanwho had a painless swelling in the right side of the buccal mucosa was referred to the Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Haga Red Cross Hospital. The swelling in the buccal mucosa was a hard and painless, darkpurple lesion, measuring approximately 20mm in diameter. No swelling of the submandibular or cervical lymph nodes was found. After establishing a clinical diagnosis of benign salivary gland tumor, the lesion was excised under local anesthesia. Histopathological examinations revealed that the tumor nest, which had a follicle-like appearance, was composed of poor atypical epithelial cells resembling normal serous cells.
To clarify the characteristics of the tumor, Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), digestive PAS, and immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies against secretory component (SC), saliva amylase, p53, p27, and Ki-67 were performed.
The histopathological diagnosis was follicular-type acinic cell carcinoma in the minor salivary glands of the right buccal mucosa. The postoperative course was uneventful, and there was no evidence of local recurrence 15 months after excision.
