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Adenoid cystic carcinoma of sublingual gland involving the submandibular duct

¹Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Department of Tissue Regeneration and Reconstruction Course for Oral Life Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan; ²Division of Oral Pathology, Department of Tissue Regeneration and Reconstruction Course for Oral Life Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan; ³Division of Reconstructive Surgery for the Oral Maxillofacial Region, Department of Tissue Regeneration and Reconstruction, Course for Oral Life Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan

*Correspondence to: Mikiko Saito, 2-5274 Gakkocho-dori, Chuou-ku Niigata, 951-8514 Japan. E-mail: micky{at}dent.niigata-u.ac.jp

Received 11 September 2007; revised 11 December 2007; accepted 11 December 2007

We report an unusual case of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) arising in the sublingual gland and extending into the submandibular duct. Our article mainly describes the MR findings. The margin of the mass was well-defined and the mass was divided into two parts – anterior and posterior. The anterior part of the mass showed isointense to surrounding muscle on T₁ weighted images and hyperintense on fat-saturated T₂ weighted images. The posterior part of the mass showed hyperintense both on T₁ weighted and fat-saturated T₂ weighted images. The findings indicated that the cystic space of the posterior part was filled with tumour mass which extended from the anterior part. ACC of the sublingual gland extending into the submandibular duct is rare and the MR findings have not been previously described in the literature.

Keywords: carcinoma, adenoid cystic; sublingual gland; Warthin's duct; magnetic resonance imaging