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Esophagus

Carcinoma

Adenoid cystic carcinoma

Author: Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.

Last author update: 1 August 2013

Last staff update: 15 May 2023

Copyright: 2003-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: Adenoid cystic carcinoma esophagus

Table of Contents

Cite this page: Weisenberg E. Adenoid cystic carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/esophagusadenoidcystic.html. Accessed January 2nd, 2025.

Definition / general

Primary tumor of esophagus morphologically and immunohistochemically identical to adenoid cystic carcinoma of salivary glands
Believed to arise from esophageal glands

Epidemiology

Very rare, generally middle age, more common in females

Prognostic factors

Generally favorable prognosis with excellent survival
Superior to squamous cell carcinoma and usual adenocarcinoma of the esophagus

Case reports

59 year old woman (Int J Clin Pract 2005;59:1101)
70 year old woman (Surg Today 1997;27:238)

Gross description

Generally well circumscribed nodule in submucosa

Microscopic (histologic) description

Identical to tumor in salivary gland
Inner ductal type epithelium and outer modified myoepithlial cells form solid nests or cribriform spaces containing balls of glyocosaminoglycans and basement membrane material

Microscopic (histologic) images

Contributed by Dr. Mark R. Wick and @RaulSGonzalezMD on Twitter

Adenoid cystic carcinoma

Positive stains

Ductal epithelium is strongly cytokeratin and CEA+, while modified myoepithelial cells are weakly cytokeratin positive with strong S100, actin and vimentin positivity in modified myoepithelial cells

Differential diagnosis

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma
- More pleomorphic with greater mitotic activity
- Does not form true lumina and lacks CEA staining
- Generally CK19+, not seen in adenoid cystic carcinoma

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