Fine‐needle aspiration cytological findings in five cases of epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma of salivary glands

The cytologic features of five cases of epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma arising in major salivary glands (four parotid and one submandibular gland) are presented. All cases were initially diagnosed as low‐grade malignancies. The smears were generally cellular, with no specific architectural pattern. Single cells and naked nuclei were prominent in all cases. A biphasic epithelial (small‐cell) and myoepithelial (large/clear‐cell) pattern was identified readily in two cases and with difficulty in one case. The biphasic pattern may be subtle or absent since the clear cells have a fragile cytoplasm and often appear as naked nuclei. The differential diagnosis includes adenoid cystic carcinoma, polymorphous low‐grade adenocarcinoma, and cellular pleomorphic adenoma. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2003;28:163–167. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.