Ultrastructural investigation of anaplastic salivary gland carcinomas in Eskimos

Abstract
Ultrastructural investigation of 19 malignant lymphoepithelial salivary gland tumors in Greenland Eskimos disclosed evidence of epithelial origin of the tumor cells in 18 cases. Furthermore, tumor cells exhibited markers of squamous cell differentiation in 16 cases. Signs of adenomatous differentiation were never encountered. Thus, the malignant lymphoepithelial tumor of salivary glands is the ultrastructural counterpart to the nasopharyngeal anaplastic carcinoma (malignant lymphoepithelioma), both being high-grade squamous cell carcinomas.