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Case Reports
. 2023 Jul 24;15(7):e42365.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.42365. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Palate With an Atypical Malignant Presentation: A Case Report

Mandeep Singh  1 , Ejaz A Mokhtar  2 , Shahrukh Akbar  3 , Peeyush Shivhare  4 , Ameera Salahudheen  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Palate With an Atypical Malignant Presentation: A Case Report

Mandeep Singh et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

A pleomorphic adenoma is a mixed salivary gland tumor. The parotid gland is the most common site. The intraoral palate is the most common site due to the abundance of accessory salivary glands in the palatal area. It has a very slow growth rate and is usually painless. Consequently, patients often have a lengthy history of presentation. Herein, we report a case of pleomorphic adenoma of the palate in a 53-year-old male patient. The mass was 5 cm by 4 cm in size. The growth rate was rapid, and it attained a large size in just nine months. On clinical examination, the overlying mucosa was ulcerated. On general examination, lymphadenopathy of the right side level 1 b lymph node was found. These clinical findings were consistent with malignancy. However, the histopathological report negated the clinical findings of malignant salivary gland tumors. The tumor was managed with a wide local excision of the tumor with a 1 cm clear margin. The postoperative course was uneventful. No recurrence was seen after two years of follow-up. A thorough cytological or histological examination is a prerequisite to defining the malignant nature of the lesion.

Keywords: excision; malignancy; minor salivary gland; palate; pleomorphic adenoma; ulceration.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A clinical photograph showing an intraoral mass with ulcerated mucosa
Figure 2
Figure 2. Sagittal-reconstructed CT image showing the mass causing cupping resorption of the hard palate
Figure 3
Figure 3. An intraoperative picture showing the excision of the tumor with overlying mucosa
Figure 4
Figure 4. The arrow shows the excised mass having an ulcerated mucosa
Figure 5
Figure 5. Histopathological examination of the sample. The green arrow shows myoepithelial cells, and the red arrow shows ductal cells.
Figure 6
Figure 6. The patient's 15-day follow-up showed soft tissue covering the bared bone
Figure 7
Figure 7. A postoperative six-month follow-up showed a significant amount of healing
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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