Myoepithelioma--new concepts of histology and classification: a light and electron microscopic study

Abstract

Based on histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies, it is now apparent that the modified myoepithelial cell component of pleomorphic adenomas has a considerable range of cytological features. We reasoned that myoepitheliomas could be tumors with a similar spectrum of neoplastic myoepithelium but lacking the ductal element displayed in pleomorphic adenomas. A review of available salivary gland tumors identified 40 examples based on this definition. Architecturally, these myoepitheliomas displayed either nonmyxoid (solid), myxoid (pleomorphic adenoma-like), reticular (canalicularlike), or mixed growth patterns, while cytologically the lesions were composed of spindle-type (32.5%), hyaline-type (7.5%), epithelial-type (45.0%), clear-type (2.5%), or mixed-type (12.5%) tumor cells. Electron microscopy was carried out on eight examples and detailed immunohistochemistry on two methanol-fixed cases. As a result of the current review of myoepitheliomas and the description of similar lesions in the literature, it is our contention that salivary gland myoepitheliomas are not as rare as has been purported.