Oncocytic hyperplasia in the human minor salivary glands: a post-mortem study

Oncocytic hyperplasia in the human labial salivary glands was sought in a series of 217 post-mortem subjects. Oncocytic change occurred in 183 subjects and hyperplasia was found in 19 of those (the overall incidence being 8.8%), ranging in age from the third decade to the ninth. The sex distribution showed a significantly greater rate in males (16 of 139 males, 11.5%; 3 of 78 females, 3.8%). Oncocytic hyperplasia occurred in the duct system, and not in the acinar regions; it was frequently seen in the interlobular and intralobular ducts. Oncocytic hyperplasia was classified into four types; focal hyperplasia of the duct wall resulting in partial thickening of the duct wall; marked hyperplasia resulting in thickening of the duct wall, extending over half of the circumference; marked hyperplasia extending to the whole duct wall and intralobular adeno-tubular hyperplasia with or without cystic dilatation. About half of the subjects with oncocytic hyperplasia showed a few hyperplastic foci in one gland. The changes increased in severity in older subjects.