Acinic cell carcinoma of minor salivary gland showing features of high-grade transformation

INTRODUCTION: Acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) of salivary gland is a relatively infrequent tumor. Though known for its low-grade behavior, its unpredictable element of recurrence and malignancy should never be ignored. CASE REPORT: A male patient with complaints of pain and swelling in the left jaw region since a year was operated based on the computed tomography (CT) and incisional biopsy report. Histopathology (routine staining, special staining, immunostaining and electron microscopy) of the excised specimen revealed it to be a variant of AciCC from minor salivary gland. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of AciCC showing propensity for high-grade transformation (HGT), arising from minor salivary gland, being reported. The rarity of such variants and the importance of various investigative techniques in the diagnosis of such cases are discussed.