Intra-Oral Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma in a Young Male

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is one of the most common salivary gland malignancies. As its name implies, MEC is composed of a mixture of cells, including mucus producing, epidermoid or squamous and intermediate cells. It’s the most common malignant tumor in the parotid (60-70% cases). MEC appears mostly as asymptomatic swellings in minor salivary glands, which being the second most common site of occurrence after the parotid gland, it can be located on palate, in retromolar area, floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, lips, and tongue . Some of the case reports have been reported in the rare sites such as nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx, vocal cords, trachea, lungs and lacrimal glands. Wide surgical resection should be carried out, followed of post-operative radiotherapy, chemotherapy for the intermediate and high grades, and for low grade tumors surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Cervical clearing should be performed in cases with regional metastases, advanced clinical staging or high histological grade. Postoperative tumor recurrences are marginally more common in high-grade than in lowgrade mucoepidermoid carcinomas. We present a case of Mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a young male who presented with a solid to cystic mass in the intra-oral region/hard palate which is an unusual site. CT scan revealed Intra-oral pleomorphic adenoma, repeated fine needle aspiration cytology showed only thin to thick straw colored muco proteinaceous fluid which created confusion between chondromyxoid material of pleomorphic adenoma and mucinous component mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma was later made on histopathological examination (HPE).