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Head and Neck Pathology
Published in: Head and Neck Pathology 3/2014

01-09-2014 | Case Report

Reticular and Myxoid Non-keratinizing Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: An Unusual Case Mimicking a Salivary Gland Carcinoma

Authors: Fredrik Petersson, Desai Vijayadwaja, Kwok Seng Loh, Kong-Bing Tan

Published in: Head and Neck Pathology | Issue 3/2014

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Abstract

We present a case of non-keratinizing carcinoma of the nasopharynx (NK-NPC) with an unusual histopathological pattern. The neoplastic cells were arranged in anastomosing cords embedded in a stroma which contained a significant component of alcian blue-positive myxoid substance forming a reticular pattern. These histopathological features gave an initial impression of a salivary gland-type carcinoma. On immunohistochemistry the tumor cells were strongly and diffusely positive for cytokeratins (AE1-3 and 5/6) and p63 and there was strong and diffuse nuclear positivity for Epstein–Barr virus-encoded small RNA on in situ hybridization. This case highlights the histomorphological variability of NK-NPC. Awareness of the histological spectrum of NK-NPC is important in clinical practice and this is not always adequately highlighted in currently used standard textbooks of Head and Neck Pathology.
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Metadata
Title
Reticular and Myxoid Non-keratinizing Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: An Unusual Case Mimicking a Salivary Gland Carcinoma
Authors
Fredrik Petersson
Desai Vijayadwaja
Kwok Seng Loh
Kong-Bing Tan
Publication date
01-09-2014
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Head and Neck Pathology / Issue 3/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1936-0568
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-013-0512-6

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