Publication:

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the palatine tonsil: a case report and review of the literature

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma is the most common malignant salivary gland neoplasm. It is seen in both the adults and children and shows a slight female predilection. It presents, usually, as a painless, slow-growing, firm mass, with varied clinical behaviour depending on its clinical stage and histological grade. The majority of the cases occur in the major salivary glands, though it can also arise from minor salivary glands. It occurs, most commonly, in the buccal mucosa and palate in the oral cavity. Other sites, in which it has been reported, include maxilla, mandible, breast tissue, skin and thymus. To our knowledge, only three cases, have been reported in tonsils so far, and hence we report an uncommon case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the Palatine tonsil.