Basal cell adenocarcinoma of the oral minor salivary glands: review of the literature and presentation of two cases

Basal cell adenocarcinoma (BCA) is an unusual salivary gland malignancy that very rarely affects the minor glands. Here we present 2 cases of BCA arising in the minor salivary glands of the left cheek and junction of the hard and soft palate, respectively. The patients were both women aged 66 and 42 years. The tumors assumed a tubular-trabecular and a solid-membranous pattern, respectively. Both tumors showed immunopositivity for S-100, Bcl-2, and cytokeratin 7. One tumor was also immunopositive for epithelial membrane antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen, and the other tumor was reactive with p53 and vimentin. Both tumors were surgically removed. A comprehensive literature review revealed only 21 previously reported cases of BCA of oral minor salivary glands. This is an exceptionally rare salivary gland tumor, which, despite its low-grade behavior, demands complete surgical removal with adequate margins. Immunohistochemical studies may complement a thorough histopathologic analysis in discriminating BCA from other salivary gland tumors.