Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of Retromolar trigone A rare case report Introduction: Salivary gland carcinomas are rare, representing a morphologically

y and clinically diverse group of tumors. They comprise less than 0.5% of all malignancies and less than 5% of malignancies in the head and neck region. A variety of different tumor entities are mentioned in the literature. Their rarity, combined with their morphological diversity, makes this group of lesions one of the most interesting and challenging in the head and neck region. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is considered the most common malignant salivary gland tumor accounting for approximately one third of all salivary malignancies. About 6% of the major and 19% of the minor salivary gland tumors is mucoepidermoid carcinoma. It consists of both epidermal and mucous cells and hence the name. Histopathologically, this tumor is classified as of either a high grade or a low grade, depending upon the ratio of epidermal cells to mucous cells. The low grade tumor has a higher ratio and is a less aggressive lesion while high grade form is considered to be more malignant tumor and has a poorer prognosis. MEC is the most common salivary malignancy seen in children. Within the oral cavity, mucoepidermoid carcinoma often resembles an extravastation or retention-type mucocele and adenoid cystic carcinoma. They differ from the above based on their growth pattern and mode of spread respectively. Case report: A 21 yr old male reported to our department with chief complaint of swelling in the lower right back tooth region of the jaw for the past 2 months. Patient was apparently alright & asymptomatic 2

months back. Initially the swelling was is the size of a mustard seed which gradually increased to the current size. He had pain and bleeding from that area for the past 15 days. Pain subsides on taking analgesics. No relevant past surgical and medical history. On examination