Secretory carcinoma of minor salivary glands.

The article focuses on secretory carcinoma (SC) of minor salivary glands, a rare malignant tumor first recognized as a distinct entity in 2010 due to its unique ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion, which it shares with secretory breast carcinoma. SC typically presents as a slow-growing, painless mass most commonly in the parotid gland but can also arise in minor salivary glands, where it may be misdiagnosed as acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) due to overlapping clinical and histologic features. Diagnosis relies on a combination of microscopic examination, immunohistochemical staining (notably positivity for S100 and mammaglobin and negativity for DOG1), and, when available, cytogenetic analysis to detect the characteristic gene fusion. Management generally involves surgical excision with clear margins, and while SC usually has a favorable prognosis, aggressive variants with regional spread and metastasis have been reported; emerging targeted therapies against the fusion gene’s tyrosine kinase product offer potential treatment options for advanced cases. The article underscores the importance of thorough clinical examination for early detection and contributes to understanding SC’s diagnostic criteria, clinical behavior, and management challenges.