Abstract: Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. High malignancy, local recurrence and distant metastasis are common causes of death among patients with SACC. Lymph node metastasis has traditionally been considered uncommon in patients with SACC. However, due to the great difference in the incidence of metastasis reported in the literature, the treatment of neck for patients with SACC still remains controversial and there is no uniform standard for the surgery scope of lymph node dissection. This paper aims to provide an overview of the research progress of clinical pathological features, treatment and molecular signature of cervical lymph node metastasis in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma, hoping to provide theoretical basis for early detection and treatment of SACC lymph node metastasis.

Key words: Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma, lymph node metastasis, selective neck dissection