A rare case of basal cell adenoma arising in the palate

Abstract

Basal cell adenoma (BCA) is a benign salivary gland tumor that usually arises in the parotid gland. It was classified as an independent tumor for the first time by the World Health Organization in 1991. BCA appears as a hard, mobile, slow-growing mass. A BCA situated within the palatal minor salivary glands is rare. As far as we could wade through the literature, only 9 cases of BCA occurring in the palatal minor salivary glands have been reported. We present a case of BCA arising in the palatal minor salivary glands. A 70-year-old woman was referred to our department for evaluation of a painless swelling in the left palate region. Based on the clinical findings, an excisional biopsy was planned with the tentative diagnosis of a benign tumor of the palate. Under general anesthesia, the tumor was resected with healthy peripheral tissue. The tumor was well-differentiated and did not invade the surrounding tissues. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells reacted positively to cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), S-100 protein, p 63, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The Ki-67 labeling index, a marker of cell proliferation, was low. Thus, the final diagnosis was a BCA. No recurrences or postoperative complications have been noted 42 months postoperatively.