Poorly Differentiated Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland in a Six-Week-Old Sprague-Dawley Rat

Abstract

A poorly differentiated spontaneous tumor was found in the parotid gland region of a 6-wk-old female Sprague-Dawley rat. The tumor consisted of undifferentiated cells forming dense clusters, well-defined nests, or compact sheets. In some areas, spindle-shaped cells were arranged in a fascicular fashion. Neither ductular nor acinar structures were seen. No keratinization was observed, either. Mitotic figures were frequent. All neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for pankeratin but negative for vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells were characterized by desmosome-like junctional complexes, poorly developed cytoplasmic organelles, and microvilli-like cytoplasmic processes. Based on these findings and its anatomical location, the present tumor was diagnosed as a poorly differentiated carcinoma of the parotid gland.