Abstract
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is one of the most common of the salivary gland neoplasms. Histologically, it is classified as either a low-, intermediate-, or high-grade tumor, and there are significant differences in prognosis among the different grades. Patients with low-grade disease have an excellent chance of survival. High-grade tumors behave aggressively, and they frequently manifest as local recurrences and distant metastases. We describe a case of a high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland that had metastasized to the skin, stomach, and liver. The disease culminated in a rapidly fatal bleeding from the stomach metastasis. Such a complication is unusual and to our knowledge has not been previously reported. We briefly discuss the clinical features, biologic behavior, and treatment of this tumor.