Pathological study on the intranodal salivary gland epithelia in the human extraparotid lymph nodes.

Abstract

Four hundred and sixty seven human lymph nodes taken from 228 cases of biopsy or surgical operation materials of the head and neck regions were studied for the occurrence of intranodal salivary gland epithelia. Intranodal salivary gland epithelia were found in 33 lymph nodes of 22 cases (9,7%), but there were no age and sex preponderances in such occurrence. Occurrence of intranodal salivary gland epithelia tended to be more frequent in the lymph nodes located near the parotid gland. Intranodal salivary gland epithelia ware histologically composed of duct epithelial cells and serous acinar cells resembling to parotid acinar cells, but in places mucous acinar cells were found. Some cases showed that squamous epithelial metaplasia, oncocytic change and small cystic dilatation of salivary ducts with varying degrees of hyperplastic change of epitheria.

The results of the present study on lymph nodes in the head and neck regions suggest that the salivary gland epithelia in such lymph nodes may be retained for a long time as reported previously in studies on salivary gland epithelia in intraparotid lymph nodes. However, there is no definitive evidence to support the concept that some salivary gland lesions such as adenolymphoma and benign lymphoepithelial lesion originate from the intranodal salivary gland epithelia.