Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: A case report and review of the literature
A 45-year-old female reported to the department with complaint of a painful swelling in the left buccal mucosal region. She first noticed the swelling 3 months ago, which had gradually increased in size. It was associated with pain, which was mild and continuous in nature. On intraoral examination, there was an ill defined swelling in the left posterior buccal mucosa in the molar region []. Palpation revealed a tender, well-defined, freely movable swelling, 1 × 1 cm in size, which was soft to firm in consistency. The overlying mucosa was normal.\nPanoramic radiography revealed no evidence of bone changes in the maxilla or mandible []. Ultrasonography of the region showed a hypoechoic mass with uniform internal structure and well defined borders. There were no areas of calcification and it appeared unattached to the neighbouring structures []. These features were suggestive of a well defined, benign soft tissue mass. Lesion was surgically excised. Histopathological examination revealed loss of cellular architecture and cribriform pattern of tumor cells with many microcytes. Perineural invasion was present []. Based on the above features adenoid cystic carcinoma was diagnosed. Since the surgical margins were free of the disease, it was decided not to give any adjuvant therapy. She was followed up for 3 years with no signs of recurrence.