MUCOEPIDERMOID CARCINOMA IN A 6-YEAR-OLD CHILD: CASE REPORT

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology Vol. 137; no. 6; p. e206
• Main Authors: BERNARDES, Igor Polonio, VENDRUSCOLO, Joana Leticia, SASSI, Laurindo Moacir, GONÇALVES, Kariana Wan-Dall, WASTNER, Bruna da Fonseca, AMENABAR, José Miguel Céspedes, de ARAUJO, Melissa Rodrigues
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.06.2024
• ISSN: 2212-4403; 2212-4411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.12.287

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare malignant glandular epithelial neoplasm in children. A 6-year-old female child presented with a painless swelling on the hard palate, which had been present for 2 months. The patient had previously seen a physician and was treated with antibiotics for a sore throat, but there was no improvement. She was then referred to a dentist for further evaluation. On physical examination, a 2 cm bluish-purple submucosal mass was observed in the posterior left side of the hard palate, and it felt firm upon palpation. Cone-beam computed tomography revealed a hypodense erosive destructive lesion in the left maxilla, crossing the midline. An incisional biopsy was performed, and histopathological evaluation confirmed a diagnosis of low-grade and invasive mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The patient was subsequently referred to the pediatric oncology service for treatment. Although inflammatory lesions are more common in children, mucoepidermoid carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of asymptomatic palate lesions.