[Pathohistological findings in infarcted parotid glands (necrotizing sialometaplasia) (author's transl)]

In 1973 Abrams et al. described a nonneoplastic lesion named "necrotizing sialometaplasia". Since this date additional cases have been reported. The lesion might be misdiagnosed either mucoid tumor or squamous carcinoma. The cases reported in the following years were localised on the hard palate, lower lip, nose and in the major salivary glands. By the "Speicheldrüsenregister" of the Institute of Pathology of the University of Hamburg five cases of infarcted parotid glands were registered during the years of 1965--1977. All infarcts are observed in patients with tumors in the parotid region. No infarct happened spontaneously. Histologically two forms of infarcts are distinguished: haemorrhagic and ischaemic. In both forms of infarcts there necrosis of acini and squamous metaplasia in intercalar and striated ducts. Degenerative changes are seen in the center of ducts with squamous metaplasia. The reaction of the interstices of the two forms of infarction are different: In the ischaemic there lipomatosis, and in the haemorrhagic there are fibrosis. Our findings are exactly as described for minor salivary glands in necrotizing sialometaplasia.