Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a disease of minor salivary glands that may be confused with, and misdiagnosed as, a malignancy. It was first reported by Abrams and associates in 1973. They described this entity as a lesion of the hard palate that did not recur after surgical excision.
Most of the literatures suggest that an interruption of the blood supply may be the basic cause, but it also has been proposed that necrotizing sialometaplasia may be the ulcerative or terminal stage of leukokeratosis nicotini palati. However there are no previous reports that it is accompanied by any bone defect.
Necrotizing sialometaplasia lesions are large, deeply excavated, and sharply demarcated from surrounding normal mucosa. They are usually located in the vicinity of the junction of the hard and soft palatal mucosa. Because the lesion is usually painless, patients often delay seeking treatment until 3 to 4 weeks after it appears.
The cause of necrotizing sialometaplasia is unknown, but it is conjectured that minor trauma to the mucous membrane may be an initiating factor. Healing usually occurs within 6 to 8 weeks without treatment.
