Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma arising from minor salivary glands of the uvula. A case report.

Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma arising from minor salivary glands of the uvula in a 35-year-old woman is reported. This tumor was composed of nests and cords of clear cells containing cytoplasmic glycogen but no mucin. The epithelial nature of this lesion was obvious because of positive immunoreactivity for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen, and the presence of immature lumina and intercellular spaces lined by many microvilli, associated with desmosomal junctions and basal lamina, as revealed by ultrastructural study. However, no myoepithelial cells could be detected. From these findings, it may be concluded that this tumor corresponds to glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma (a variant of clear cell tumor), revealing glandular differentiation.