Primary intranodal Warthin-like variant of mucoepidermoid carcinoma

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology Vol. 137; no. 4; pp. e57 - e62
• Main Authors: Bock, Rosa, Molony, Peter, Conn, Brendan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2024
• ISSN: 2212-4403; 2212-4411; 2212-4411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.11.009

This report describes a rare case of primary intranodal Warthin-like mucoepidermoid carcinoma (WL-MEC) presenting as a left level II lymph node mass in a 48-year-old man. Warthin-like mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a recently defined variant of MEC that bears a close histologic resemblance to Warthin tumor. Whereas MEC has readily identifiable key histologic features that render diagnosis relatively straightforward, WL-MEC is a challenging diagnosis due to overlapping histologic features and only limited case reports in the literature. This case was initially diagnosed as primary intranodal MEC after the exclusion of metastasis by imaging. It was not until years later, upon review of historic cases, that the diagnosis of WL-MEC was established. This diagnosis was further supported by molecular testing that was not available at the time of the original diagnosis.