A case of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the palate

Mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) arising in the oral cavity is extremely rare. We report a case of MAC originating in the palate.A 70-year-old man presented with an ulcer of the palate visited our hospital. A demarcated tumor arising in the right side of the palate with cervical lymph swelling on the same side were recognized. Histopathological examination revealed a MAC. Partial maxillectomy and radical neck dissection were immediately performed. After surgery, neck metastasis was detected on the contralateral side. Radical neck dissection was therefore performed. After that, recurrence in the right side of the neck and lung metastasis was detected. Bilateral radiotherapy was given to treat recurrence in the neck, and chemotherapy was administered to treat the lung metastasis. The patient died of respiratory insufficiency 2 years 5 months after the first examination.