Salivary duct carcinoma of the palatal salivary glands: a case report.

There are many variants of salivary gland tumors; however, salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) ranks among those with the worst prognoses. The parotid glands are the most common site of origin. Minor salivary glands account for only 10% of SDC, and the palatal glands are the most vulnerable. If it is not recognized and treated early, SDC metastasizes to regional lymph nodes and eventually to distant organs. The histologic features are unusual in that the tumor cells exhibit comedonecrosis, a type of necrosis seldom if ever seen with other types of oral cancer. This article presents a case involving ductal carcinoma of palatal salivary glands, a rare and virulent type of salivary gland tumor, the patient's unwillingness to undergo conventional treatment, and the final outcome.