Adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the maxillary sinus: report of a 44-year experience of 25 cases from a single institution

Abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts

Abstract

Prognosis depended on clinical stage and histological type, but was poor for adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC).

Main

Perez DE da C, Pires FR et al. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2006; 64: 1592–1597

ACC and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) are rare tumours in the maxillary sinus. This paper analyses 18 ACCs and 7 MECs diagnosed from 1953 to 1997 in a Brazilian hospital. Tumours were included only if their origin in the antral lining was fully established.

All of the ACCs presented as a mass, 14 with pain, and 16 were staged clinically as III or IV, and 16 histopathologically as T3 or T4. All the MECs presented as a mass, 4 with pain, 3 were staged III or IV, and 3 as T3 or T4. Treatment was mainly surgical for 14 tumours and non-surgical or supportive for the others. From ACC, 16 patients died after a mean follow-up of 4.6 yrs, and 3 patients with MEC were alive after a mean 4.8 yrs without clinical evidence of disease. Overall ACC survival was 40% at 5 yrs and 0% at 10, while MEC survival was 70% at both intervals.