Sebaceous Carcinoma of the Submandibular Gland a Case Report and Review of the Literature

Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) of the submandibular gland is extremely rare. Owing to the low morbidity and nonspecific clinical manifestations, diagnosis is commonly delayed, which increases metastasis and mortality. To date, there have been five reported cases of SC of the submandibular gland. Here, we present a new case and review the relevant literature.

A 36-year-old woman presented with an enlarged left submandibular gland. Clinical features included a non-tender solitary nodular mass with normal overlying skin. There were no special findings on computed tomography or ultrasound examination except for a swollen mass in the left submandibular gland. The patient underwent surgical resection. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of SC with nerve infiltration. Immunohistochemical examination of this case showed positive staining for P63, P40, CK7, CK8/18, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2. The specimen was negative for androgen receptor, CEA, S-100, CK5/6, SOX-10, SOX-11, SMA, and GCDFP-15. The KI-67 labeling index was determined to be 15%. PAS and anti-epithelial membrane antigen were positive in partial area. The patient is still undergoing follow-up, and no metastasis or recurrence has been observed for 2 months.

This case highlighted the fact that despite its rarity, SC should be considered as a differential diagnosis for masses located in the head and face. Early and accurate diagnosis, followed by wide surgical excision, has a favorable prognosis. Therefore, clinicians should be familiar with the clinical and pathological features of this disease.