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Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Pterygopalatine Fossa: Report of a Rare Case

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Abstract

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon malignant neoplasm that predominantly arises from major and minor salivary glands, accounting for about 1% of head and neck malignancies. ACCs originating from the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) are extremely rare. In this case report, we present a 77-year-old male patient who experienced a two-year hemi-facial numbness and mild trismus, with intact nasal mucosa. He underwent Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which revealed opacification of the left PPF with extension to the left infratemporal fossa and osteolytic areas of the sphenoid bone. Histopathology, following blind biopsies, revealed ACC of the PPF, which was subsequently treated with combined therapy (radiotherapy and chemotherapy). Due to their slow and progressive growth, as well as their tendency for perineural invasion, ACCs should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of painless swelling or nerve dysfunction. To our knowledge, this case is the fifth described in the English literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of ORL, Head and Neck Surgery, “G. Gennimatas” General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Katerina Marini, Elissavet Skitotomidou, Anna Astreinidou, Nektarios Argyriou & Vasiliki Florou

  2. 2nd Academic ORL, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Konstantinos Garefis

  3. Department of Pathology (Laboratory of General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    James Philip Skliris

  4. Department of ORL, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece

    Jiannis Hajiioannou

Authors
  1. Katerina Marini
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  2. Konstantinos Garefis
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  3. James Philip Skliris
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  4. Elissavet Skitotomidou
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  5. Anna Astreinidou
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  6. Jiannis Hajiioannou
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  7. Nektarios Argyriou
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  8. Vasiliki Florou
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Correspondence to Katerina Marini.

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Marini, K., Garefis, K., Skliris, J.P. et al. Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Pterygopalatine Fossa: Report of a Rare Case. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-024-04582-2

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