Differential Diagnosis of a Canalicular Adenoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

We report the case of a 68-year-old female patient who was referred to our hospital for a painless, immobile, hard and well-circumscribed nodule of the upper lip that had been present for a decade. Surgical excision under local anaesthesia was the treatment of choice. After histological examination, a diagnosis of a canalicular adenoma, an uncommon benign salivary gland tumour, was made. No late recurrences occurred during a two-year follow-up period. Despite the broad clinical differential diagnosis, this tumour has a characteristic appearance under the microscope. Histological examination is indispensable for diagnosis and for excluding malignancy.