Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma in a 33-Year-Old White Man.

PATIENT DEMOGRAPHICS: A 33-year-old white man.

CHIEF COMPLAINT: Longstanding bump on the roof of the mouth.

TREATMENT: The patient was referred to an oral maxillofacial surgeon for a pathology consultation. The patient had been experiencing pain on both sides of his jaw, but the oral mass was not painful (Image 1).

MEDICAL HISTORY: The patient has no history of smoking, is slightly overweight with a body mass index of 26.5, and has no systemic or chronic medical conditions.

EXAMINATION FINDINGS: On initial examination by the oral surgeon, the vital signs of the patient were normal. An indurated lesion was noted on the left hard palate of the patient. Suspecting a benign lesion or possible carcinoma/neoplasm, the oral surgeon scheduled and performed an excisional biopsy (Image 2). The mass was sent for pathological processing.

POSTOPERATIVE CARE: This included a diet of soft foods, with daily rinsing using 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate, with a follow-up appointment made for 2 weeks later.

PRINCIPAL LABORATORY FINDINGS: Figure 1; Image 3; Image 4.