A Case of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Palate Difficult to Diagnose as a Benign Tumor or a Malignant Tumor

We report here our experience with a case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the palate difficult to diagnose as a benign or a malignant tumor. The patient was a male in his 20s who was referred to our hospital in February 202X with a complaint of swelling of the left palate. Intraoral findings revealed a light purple color area approximately 20mm in diameter on the left palate. Hemispherical swelling was noted and elastic and soft undulation was palpable. CT findings revealed a soft tissue mass with a diameter of about 17mm and a CT value of about 64HU in the left palate. MRI findings revealed a well-defined mass with a diameter of about 20mm in the left palate. Diffusion-weighted images did not show a significant decrease in diffusion. The T2-weighted image showed a moderately high signal intensity. Diagnostic imaging suggested salivary tumors, hemangiomas, or neurogenic tumors. The tissue biopsy results indicated a salivary gland tumor. In April, resection was performed at the general anesthesia department. Based on the pathological results, a definitive diagnosis of low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma was obtained. Ten months after the operation, there was no sign of recurrence and the prognosis was good.