The reliability of MAML2 gene rearrangement in discriminating between histologically similar glandular odontogenic cysts and intraosseous mucoepidermoid carcinomas

Rekha Reddy; Mohammed N Islam; Indraneel Bhattacharyya; Donald M Cohen; Sarah G Fitzpatrick; Seema Ganatra

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2018.12.003

The reliability of MAML2 gene rearrangement in discriminating between histologically similar glandular odontogenic cysts and intraosseous mucoepidermoid carcinomas

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2019 Jun;127(6):e136-e147. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2018.12.003. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Authors

Rekha Reddy¹, Mohammed N Islam², Indraneel Bhattacharyya³, Donald M Cohen⁴, Sarah G Fitzpatrick⁵, Seema Ganatra⁶

Affiliations

¹ Chief Resident, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Gainesville, FL, USA. Electronic address: RReddy@dental.ufl.edu.
² Clinical Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, University of Florida College of Dentistry Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Gainesville, FL, USA.
³ Department Chair and Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁴ Division Director and Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁵ Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁶ Clinical Professor, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

PMID: 30692056
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2018.12.003

Abstract

Objective: MAML2 expression is proven in the majority of mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) arising in salivary glands. MEC can also occur intraosseously (IMEC). Glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is an odontogenic cyst with histologic overlap with IMEC. This study aimed to determine the reliability of MAML2 in distinguishing IMEC cases from GOC cases.

Study design: An institutional review board-approved retrospective search of IMEC, GOC, and IMEC with prior history of GOC was performed within the archives of the University of Florida and the University of Alberta Oral Pathology Biopsy Services. Nine cases from 5 patients were selected. Break-apart fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis was performed on 7 cases for the presence of MAML2 rearrangement.

Results: Four cases had negative MAML2 gene rearrangement, and 3 cases had positive MAML2 gene rearrangement.

Conclusions: Although it can be concluded that the 3 cases with positive translocation for MAML2 were IMECs, the same conclusion could not be drawn for the 4 cases with negative translocation. Whether the cases that were negative for translocation were GOCs with MEC-like islands or were MAML2-negative IMECs could not be ascertained. Therefore, MAML2 rearrangement is not always reliable in differentiating IMECs from GOCs with overlapping histology.

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid*
Gene Rearrangement
Humans
In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
Odontogenic Cysts*
Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
Reproducibility of Results
Retrospective Studies
Trans-Activators

Substances

MAML2 protein, human
Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
Trans-Activators