Soft Tissue Myoepithelial Carcinoma Metastatic to the Cecum: Highlighting an Unusual Metastatic Pattern and the Need for Diagnostic Awareness.

Abstract

Myoepithelial neoplasms of the soft tissues are a rare, heterogeneous group of tumors for which classification continues to evolve. While well defined within salivary glands, they can also arise in viscera and soft tissues, where diagnosis is challenging due to the lack of clinical and pathological familiarity. We present the case of a 36 year old man with myoepithelial carcinoma arising as a primary tumor within the soft tissues of the neck, which metastasized to the cecum, causing intussusception. This spindle cell neoplasm showed the classic S100 protein, smooth muscle actin and pancytokeratin-positive immunoprofile. Metastasis of myoepithelial carcinoma to the cecum has not been previously described, and coupled with the spindle cell morphology, may cause significant diagnostic difficulty in the absence of clinical familiarity, particularly as there is morphologic overlap with spindle cell neoplasms arising more commonly in gastrointestinal sites, including gastrointestinal stromal tumor, leiomyosarcoma and sarcomatoid carcinoma.

• Authors: Despoina Mourtzoukou, Shane Zaidi, Robin L Jones, Cyril Fisher, Khin Thway
• Journal: Rare tumors (Rare Tumors) Vol. 8 Issue 1 Pg. 6086 (Mar 21 2016) ISSN: 2036-3605 [Print] England
• PMID: 27134707 (Publication Type: Case Reports)