Ploidy status of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) from primary and recurrent tonsillar and tongue lesions has not been compared using image cytometry. We have measured and compared the DNA indices in 41 cases. There were 29 tongue SCCHN, 20/29 were primary and 9/29 were recurrent. Mean DNA index (DI) was 1.19 (range 0.70–1.81) and 1.28 (range 0.79–1.94) respectively. There were 12 tonsillar cases, 10/12 primary and two out of 12 recurrent. Mean DI was 0.84 (range 0.57–1.09) and 1.00 (range 0.98–1.02) respectively. Mean DNA indices of both primary carcinomas were lower than the mean DNA indices of the recurrent carcinomas. This difference between the two groups may be a reflection of their tumour biology. However, since our study is small no definite conclusions can be made at this stage. We aim in the future to evaluate the prognostic role of DNA indices of patients with paired primary and recurrent SCCHN. This may be of clinical value and improve the treatment modalities available to this group.

An 82-year-old male presented with a two-month history of hoarseness. A 2 cm pedunculated lesion was removed from the base of his epiglottis. Microscopy showed a polypoid atypical spindle cell lesion. Multiple levels failed to reveal an invasive squamous cell carcinoma. On the basis of haematozylin and eosin stained sections the main differential diagnosis was a pseudosarcoma with an overlying dysplastic squamous mucosa or infiltrating spindle cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry showed positive staining for vimentin but no convincing staining with antibodies to cytokeratin and EMA. Ultrastructural analysis also failed to reveal epithelial characteristics. Ploidy analysis by static cytophotometry of the spindle cell proliferation revealed an aneuploid stem line with a DNA index of 1.67. On the basis of this the process was felt unlikely to be reactive and a diagnosis of a spindle cell squamous carcinoma was made. This diagnosis was subsequently supported by a clinical recurrence of the nodule at a six-month follow-up.

Clear cell carcinoma of salivary gland is a rare neoplasm. We report a third case of clear cell carcinoma arising in a pleomorphic adenoma and also in an extraparotid location. We document the immunohistochemical profile of the tumour including reactivity with a marker for the c-erbh-2 oncoprotein and suggest a myoepithelial origin for these lesions. The presence of a tetraploid stemline may account for the rapid tumour progression in this case.