Basal cell adenocarcinoma of the tongue- A rarity Case report

Basal cell adenocarcinoma is an unusual basaloid tumour that usually affects the parotid and very rarely involves the submandibular or minor salivary glands. It constitutes 1.6% of all salivary gland tumours and occurs as an asymptomatic freely mobile mass with occasional lymph node metastasis. Differentiation from benign salivary gland tumours like basal cell adenoma is accomplished by determining the depth of tumour invasion and patterns of growth or infiltration. Although it is categorised as a low-grade malignancy, it has a high propensity for recurrence. Surgical excision with a wide margin is the preferred course of treatment with radiotherapy being reserved only for tumours of the minor salivary glands with a diffuse pattern of infiltration. We present here a case of basal cell adenocarcinoma with a rare presentation in the minor salivary glands of the tongue which arose from a previously treated basal cell adenoma in the same site.