Abstract
Expensive alcohol intake is injurious to many internal organs. Swelling of the salivary glands in chronic alcohol abuse is an interesting finding. Especially the parotid gland swelling is worthy of mention. The pathology and the pathogenesis of the swelling of salivary glands in chronic alcohol abuse were investigated in the present study. W e microscopically examined the submandibular glands, livers and pancreata of 45 autopsy cases of alcohol abuse who had consumed 540ml of Japanese sake per day for more than 10 years, and compared these with 25 age and sex matched autopsy cases of non-alcoholic patients. The weight and volume of the submandibular glands including the parotid glands were significantly increased in the cases of alcoholic abuse. Microscopically, ductitis or periductitis caused by protein plugs or calcareous deposition ; atrophy and loss of aciner cells ; and compensatory fibrosis and fatty infiltration of intra and inter-lobular spaces were charactaristically noted. Ultimately, the increase of fibrous and fatty tissues plus the atrophy and loss of parenchymal cells of the submandibular glands were the main causes of swelling of the submandibular glands. Interlobular fibrosis of the submandibular glands caused by ductitis or periductitis was predominantly, and mild fine fibrosis, so called primary fibrosis, was also found around periaciner cells. These findings were similar to those of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. In the present study, although alcoholic injury of the liver and pancreas were markedly developed, there was no direct evidence relating that damage the changes of the submandibular glands.
