What is meant by perineural invasion?
ACC has a very high tendency to microscopically infiltrate the adjoining nerve tissues around the tumor site, which is called perineural invasion. Nerve tissues microscopically appear like pipes with strands of wire running through them. ACC finds a “path of least resistance” by growing along the sheathing that surrounds those strands of wires inside the pipe. This creates a real challenge for both diagnosis and treatment since the cancerous cells are very small rather than a large cluster, and don’t necessarily show up on a MRI or CT scan. For head and neck tumors the major nerves that lead back to the brain should always be inspected with scans and monitored closely for any suspect infiltration. Some medical professionals have reported that in reviewing a scan, ACC appears to “skip” areas and can infiltrate nerves in areas more removed from the tumor site.
Related Questions
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