[Necrotizing sialometaplasia of the hard palate]

Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a benign, self-healing disease of salivary gland tissue and is usually confined to the minor salivary glands of the hard palate. It has clinical and histological features that simulate malignancies such as mucoepidermoid and squamous cell carcinomas. Wrong diagnosis has led to unnecessary mutilating surgical procedures. The etiology of the disease is unknown, but an ischaemic process is considered most likely. We describe two patients with necrotizing sialometaplasia, one with midline and one with bilateral symmetrical affection of the hard palate.