The authors reviewed 90 cases of acinic cell carcinoma treated at the Mayo Clinic to assess long-term follow-up and to study features predictive of disease progression. Sixty-three patients (55 females and 35 males) were seen for primary treatment; 27 had recurrent disease when first evaluated. Histologically, these tumors were composed of serous acinar cells and intercalated duct-type cells. Morphologic patterns included solid, microcystic, follicular, and papillary-cystic. All patients were followed for at least 10 years or until death. Of the primary treatment group, 44% had local recurrence, 19% had metastasis, and 25% died of disease. Disease first recurred locally up to 30 years after presentation and resulted in death after as many as 38 years. Poor prognostic features include pain or fixation; gross invasion; microscopic features of desmoplasia, atypia, or increased mitotic activity; and excision as initial treatment. Neither morphologic pattern nor cell composition was a predictive feature. Cancer 67:172-179,1991.
CINIC CELL CARCINOMA is an uncommon tumor of A salivary gland origin; it represents 2% to 4% of primary parotid gland Although originally described as adenomas, their propensity for local recurrence and ability to metastasize is now well recognized.'-I5 Acinic cell carcinomas are composed of serous acinar cells and intercalated duct-type cells with frequent transitional forms. Various morphologic patterns are also observed, resulting in a wide spectrum of microscopic appearances with differences both between different tumors and in a given case. Histologic features that consistently predict disease progression have not been identified. In addition, published series vary widely in predicted outcome for patients with this neoplasm, with local recurrence reported in 8% to 56% of patients. We did a long-term follow-up study in a large group of patients to determine the natural history of this neoplasm and to evaluate clinical and pathologic features with respect to disease progression.
Materials and Methods
Mayo Clinic files were reviewed to identify all patients treated for acinic cell carcinoma of the major salivary From the