Diagnostic dilemma: our experience with necrotising sialometaplasia

A man in his 40s presented to our outpatient department with a painful ulcer in the oral cavity for 1 week. After intraoral examination, a single hard palate ulcer, which was non-tender on palpation, was noted. Baseline blood investigations such as haemogram and serological evaluation were within normal limits. Under local anaesthesia, an excisional biopsy was performed. The histopathological examination revealed a reactive necrotising inflammatory process involving minor salivary glands with no cytological atypia. Weekly follow-up was performed and at the end of 4 weeks, complete healing of the lesion had occurred without any further intervention.