Electrom microscopy was employed to study the human normal mucous membrane of maxillary sinus, in particular, morphological changes of the basal cell. Our electron microscopic observations revealed some nuclear division of the basal cells, basal body associated with the basal foot and the rootlet with banded structure and a few lysosomes phagocyting the tonofilaments in the basal cell cytoplasm.
These findings suggested that the ciliated cells as well as the goblet cells were recruited divisions of the basal cell. We speculated that the basal cell with the basal body and another with lysosome phagocyting tonofilaments may be programmed to differentiate to the ciliated and goblet cells, respectively.

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The fine structure of the human nasal and paranasal sinus glands was observed under electron microscopy. There is apparently no such documentation.
The materials were obtained during operative procedures of the nasal and paranasal sinuses.
The excretory duct of nasal and paranasal glands can be distinguished as three portions, i. e. ductal, striated and intercalated.
Mucous and serous or mixed secretory glands are in various phases of secretory function.
Occasionally, oncocytes are observed in the ductal, striated, intercalated and acinar portions. Electron microscopy shows clearly that the cell has cytoplasm which is filled with numerous mitochondria, and such does not differ from that observed in salivary glands. It is considered that such originate from the transformed cells of both of the acinar and excretory duct epithelium.

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Histopathological changes of the surface epithelium of chronic maxillary mucous membrane excised from patients undergoing radical sinectomy, were observed under electron microscopy, and compared with findings using light microscopy.
For the light microscopic examination, mucous membranes were taken from 230 maxillary sinusitis in 165 patients. Such were classified into 7 types according to the histopathological changes such as, edema, cellular infiltration and fibrous proliferation. In addition, changes of the surface epithelial cells were studied in the same specimens and so were classified into six types; 1. normal pseudostratified ciliated epithelium 2. increasing goblet cells 3. hyperplasia 4. irregular arrangement 5. sloughing 6. squamous metaplasia. Each epithelium of six types was studied as to its relation to the types of the mucous membrane change.
Using electron microscopy, each of the six types above mentioned was observed and the ultrastructural character defined. The relation of the progress of the inflammatory process in chronic maxillary sinusitis to the epithelial changes was discussed.

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Tissues from 41 patients with paranasal carcinoma (39 maxillary and 2 ethmoidal sinuses) obtained by biopsy were observed under light and electron microscopy. Twenty were squamous cell carcinoma, 9 adenocarcinoma, 3 adenoid cystic carcinoma, 2 mucoepidermoid carcinoma and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma.
Tissue for light microscopy was fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. PAS, PAS-diastase digestion, alcian blue and mucicarmin stains were used as required. For electron microscopy, minced tissue blocks were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde for 1 hour and post-fixed in 1% osmium tetraoxide for 1 hour, dehydrated in graded concentration of ethanol and embedded in epon. Thin sections were doubly stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and examined under a Hitachi HIJ-11DS and JEM 100C electron microscope.
From the ultrastructural observation of each tumor type, it was revealed that one poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and two poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma were reevaluated in the six undifferentiated carcinomas diagnosed under light microscopy. One adenosquamous carcinoma and a carcinoid were found in the solid type of adenoid cystic carcinoma diagnosed by routine pathological examination.
The grade of differentiation in the squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma evaluated by light microscopic findings, was reevaluated using electron microscopy. In consequence, the following cytoplasmic and nuclear makers were varied with the differential gradings of the cancer cells: the mode of cell junction, the number and size of cell organelles and nuclear features.
Histogenesis of paranasal carcinoma was discussed on the basis of ultrastructural similarity to “surface epithelial”, “ductal” and “acinar” cells of normal human maxillary sinus.

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Tissues from 17 patients with malignant lymphoma (5 cases of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, 10 cases of the tonsil and 1 case of cervical lymph node), and 1 caes of plasmacytoma of the paranasal sinus, were observed under the electron microscope. Findings were compared with those seen under light microscopy.
On the basis of histologic morphology, malignant lymphoma may be classified in a variety of ways. Commonly, this tumor is classified: Reticulum cell sarcoma, Lymphosarcoma and Hodgkin's disease. Histologic classification of 17 cases was composed of tissues from 13 patients with reticulum cell sarcoma, 2 lymphosarcoma, 1 Hodgkin's disease and 1 plasmacytoma. However, this tumor shows a widely varying range of morphology. This variation sometimes makes it difficult to differentiate the types.
Ultrastructurally, reticulum cell sarcoma was classified into three types (undifferentiated, poorly differentiated and well differentiated).
Ultrastructurally, lymphosarcoma was classified into two types (poorly and well differentiated).
It was revealed by ultrastructural findings that five cases of lymphosarcoma and three cases of plasmacytoma were confused with reticulum cell sarcoma.
Consequently, thorough electron microscopic observations should be made in order to better understand and diagnose correctly patients with malignant lymphoma.

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