Clinicopathological and Immunohistochemical Study of Polymorphous Adenocarcinoma of Minor Salivary Glands: A Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: Polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC) currently termed as polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC) has varied clinical, and histological presentation. Moreover, the challenges in differential diagnosis of PAC, and the nuances involved in distinguishing PAC from other tumors, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and pleomorphic adenoma can impact the treatment plan and patient prognosis. Aim: The aim of the study was to comprehensively review polymorphous adenocarcinoma, its clinical character-istics, diagnosis, treatment approaches, and long-term outcomes. Methods: Various available databases was used like Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar to search for the articles published between 2013 and 2023. Results: A total of 43 articles were identified from all databases. Eventually, eight studies met the inclusion requirements and were selected for the systematic review. Conclusion: While polymorphous adenocarci-noma (PAC) predominantly affects individuals in their sixth to seventh decades of life, its clinical presentation var-ies. Histologically, PAC exhibits diverse patterns, including tubular, cribriform, and solid, influencing treatment decisions and prognostic outcomes. Surgical excision remains the primary treatment modality, often supplemented with radiation therapy in cases of incomplete resection. Significantly, our data highlights the good prognosis linked to PAC, which is demonstrated by high survival rates and comparatively low rates of metastasis. However, with long term follow ups, distant metastasis or even transformation to a high-grade adenocarcinoma has been noted. Molecular characterisation is necessary due to challenges in accurate diagnosis and differentiation from other sali-vary gland neoplasms.