Myoepithelial cell adenoma of the parotid gland: a light and ultrastructural study

Light, histochemical, and ultrastructural features of a myoepithelial cell adenoma of the parotid gland are described. Ultrastructurally, the neoplasm was almost entirely composed of myoepithelium. The spindle-shaped myoepithelial cells and their processes were filled with longitudinally oriented myofilaments with characteristic densities along their course and marginal attachment plaques. The tumor cells were interconnected by desmosomes. The role of myoepithelium in the genesis of some salivary gland tumors is discussed.