Salivary gland myoepitheliomas are rare tumours, accounting for less than 1 per cent of neoplasms of the salivary glands. Myoepithelioma of the palate is very rare, and only a few cases have been reported in the world literature. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis supports the myoepithelial origin of this tumour. Here, we report three cases of myoepithelioma of the palate in adult males and review previously reported cases.

The present paper describes the first reported case, to our knowledge, of a myoepithelioma arising in an accessory parotid gland. Because pre-operative fine-needle aspiration cytological findings and operative findings suggested that this tumour was malignant, the decision was made to remove the tumour surgically along with the buccal branches of the facial nerve. The resected nerve was reconstructed by nerve transplantation, using the great auricular nerve. Subsequently the tumour was found to be benign. One year after surgery, the patient had excellent facial nerve function and so far there has been no evidence of recurrence.

A case is reviewed of a giant benign myoepithelioma of the soft palate presenting in an elderly female patient. Due to the large size of the lesion and its mass effect the patient developed dysphagia with subsequent significant weight loss. The clinico-pathological features of this rare tumour are described and the literature reviewed.

A 62-year-old male with a myoepithelioma of the right parotid gland was treated with surgical excision followed by adjuvant radiation therapy. Prior to the completion of radiation therapy, the patient developed progressive disease at local, regional, and distant metastatic sites. Combined modality treatment with radiation and chemotherapy resulted in a significant but transient shrinkage of the tumours at all sites. The patient succumbed to metastatic disease 212 days following the diagnostic biopsy. This case illustrates several of the distinctive clinical and pathological characteristics of this rare tumour.