EC Dental Science

Acinic cell carcinoma is a low to intermediate grade, malignant epithelial neoplasm of salivary glands characteristically demonstrating serous acinar cell differentiation. A proportion of neoplastic cells depict cytoplasmic zymogen granules.

Acinic cell carcinoma exhibits favourable prognostic outcomes with minimal localized tumour reoccurrence, distant metastasis or metamorphosis into high grade neoplasms.

Acinic cell carcinoma preponderantly incriminates Caucasian population. Median age of disease occurrence is 52 years although no age of tumour emergence is exempt and children or elderly adults are commonly implicated. A mild female predominance is observed with female to male proportion of 1.6:1 [1,2].

1. Xu B., et al. “Head and Neck Acinic Cell Carcinoma: A New Grading System Proposal and Diagnostic Utility of NR4A3 Immunohistochemistry”. The American Journal of Surgical Pathology7 2022): 933-941.
2. Wong KS., et al. “NR4A3 Immunohistochemistry Reliably Discriminates Acinic Cell Carcinoma from Mimics”. Head and Neck Pathology2 (2021): 425-432.
3. Fiorentino V., et al. “DOG1 as an Immunohistochemical Marker of Acinic Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences17 (2022): 9711.
4. Viswanathan K., et al. “NR4A3 Immunostain Is a Highly Sensitive and Specific Marker for Acinic Cell Carcinoma in Cytologic and Surgical Specimens”. American Journal of Clinical Pathology1 (2022): 98-108.
5. Image 1 Courtesy: Libre Pathology.
6. Image 2 Courtesy: Baishideng Publishing Group.