Acinic cell carcinoma arising in nasal cavity: report of a case with ultrastructural observations.

An acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) arising in the nasal cavity, a rare entity, is presented. The tumor involved the left lower turbinate and showed the classic features of ACC on light microscopic examination. On ultrastructural examination, tumor cells contained numerous secretory granules, diagnostic of ACC. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the secretory granules as well as numerous apical microvilli where tumor cells surrounded lumens. As far as the authors are aware, the scanning electron microscopic findings in ACC have not been previously reported.