Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising in a lymphoepithelial cyst —Report of a case and review of the literature on branchiogenic carcinoma—

  • Case Reports
  • Published:
The Japanese journal of surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A 59-year-old Japanese man who had recently noticed a gradual enlargement in a nodule located in the left anterior part of his neck was admitted for surgical treatment. The histopathological features of the resected tumor were consistent with a typical lymphoepithelial cyst, however, the inner surface epithelium of the cyst showed histological transition to mucoepidermoid carcinoma, which was partially invading the cyst wall. Despite clinical efforts in a systemic search, no primary lesions which could have metastasized were found. The patient hasn’t shown any evidence of recurrence since his tumor resection over 2 years ago. Besides this rare case report, a review of the English literature reveals 22 cases of possible branchiogenic carcinoma over the last 10 years, including 21 cases whose histological features were of squamous cell carcinoma and 1 whose histological features revealed mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The present case is thus only the second proven case of low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising within a branchiogenic cyst.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bernstein ABA, Scardino PT, Tomaszewski MW, Cohen MH. Carcinoma arising in a branchial cleft cyst. Cancer 1976; 37: 2417–2422.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tami TA. Intraparotid branchial cleft cyst. Arch Otolaryngol 1985; 111: 204–205.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fujibayashi T. Lymphoepithelial (so-called branchial) cyst within the parotid gland. Report of a case and review of the literature. Int J Oral Surg 1981; 10: 283–292.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Browder JP, Wheeler MS, Henley JT, Geratz JD. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a cervical cyst: A case of branchiogenic carcinoma? Laryngoscope 1984; 94: 107–112.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Martin H, Morfit HM, Ehrlich H. The case for branchiogenic cancer (malignant branchioma). Ann Surg 1950; 132: 867–887.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Black B, Naran AG. Branchiogenic carcinoma. Clin Otolaryngol 1978; 3: 27–36.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Artese L, Piattelli A, Piattelli M. Branchiogenic carcinoma. Report of a case. Acta Stomatol Belg 1986; 83: 21–24.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Honoré LH, Blackwood HJ, O’hara KE. Primary branchiogenic carcinoma. Ear Nose Throat J (Chicago) 1979; 58: 21, 25–27.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Söderström KO. In situ carcinoma in branchial cysts. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 1987; 49: 149–151.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Beinsch BM, Som ML. Branchial cleft carcinoma. Arch Otolaryngol 1973; 98: 208–209.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mccarthy SA, Turnbull FM Jr. The controversy of branchiogenic carcinoma. Arch Otolaryngol 1981; 107: 570–572.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Shreedhar R, Tooley AH. Carcinoma arising in a branchial cyst. Br J Surg 1984; 71: 115.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sandiford JA, Chun BK, Potter JF. Branchiogenic carcinoma. J R Coll Surg Edinb 1987; 32: 148–151.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jablokow VR, Kathuria S, Wang T. Squamous cell carcinoma arising in branchiogenic cyst: Branchial cleft carcinoma. J Surg Oncol 1982; 20: 201–204.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wolff M, Rankow RM, Fleigel J. Branchiogenic carcinoma—Fact or Fallacy? J Maxillofac Surg 1979; 7: 41–47.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Krogdahl AS. Carcinoma occurring in branchial cleft cysts. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1979; 88: 289–295.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Clinberg JZ, Silver CE, Molnar JJ, Vogl SE. Cervical cysts: Cancer until proven otherwise? Laryngoscope 1982; 92: 27–30.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The First Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University, School of Medicine, Sapporo

    Jun Misonou MD, Keiichi Iwabuchi & Miki Aizawa

  2. The Department of Otolaryngology, Tomakomai Municipal General Hosptal, Hokkaido

    Susumu Murakami

Authors
  1. Jun Misonou MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Keiichi Iwabuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Miki Aizawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Susumu Murakami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Misonou, J., Iwabuchi, K., Aizawa, M. et al. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising in a lymphoepithelial cyst —Report of a case and review of the literature on branchiogenic carcinoma—. The Japanese Journal of Surgery 19, 474–479 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471631

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471631

Key Words

Search

Navigation