Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity: Radiology-Pathology Correlation

Adenoid cystic carcinoma in the oral cavity is an uncommon salivary gland malignancy that has a propensity for perineural spread. A high-grade variant is evidenced by an abundance of pleomorphic cells, loss of the classic biphasic epithelial-myoepithelial growth pattern, and comedonecrosis, as well as elevated Ki-67. CT and MRI can both be useful for demonstrating the extent of invasion in oral cavity-associated adenoid cystic carcinoma, which can attain the inferior alveolar nerve for perineural spread by direct invasion through the mandible. Reflecting the aggressive nature of this high-grade malignancy, ¹⁸FDG-PET can demonstrate hypermetabolism and can be useful for staging. These features are exemplified in this sine qua non radiology-pathology correlation article.