Tumors and tumor-like lesions of the salivary glands: morphological characteristics of the surgical material

Abstract

The aim is to give a morphological characteristic of tumors and tumor-like lesions of the salivary glands in the course of a comprehensive analysis of the surgical material. The connective tissue capsule separating the tumor tissue from the intact tissue of the salivary gland was clearly pronounced in adenolymphomas, and in pleomorphic adenomas it could be clearly expressed, intact, with tumor invasion or absent. In mesenchymal and mixed variants of pleomorphic adenomas, in comparison with the epithelial variant, there was a frequent tumor invasion of the capsule, thinning of the capsule or its absence. Morphological examination of the surgical material allows us to diagnose tumors (pleomorphic adenomas and adenolymphomas) and non-tumor lesions (cysts) of the salivary glands. This, of course, is of great therapeutic, diagnostic and prognostic value. Among the identified pathology of the salivary glands, pleomorphic adenomas cause certain difficulties in morphological diagnosis due to their structural diversity and heterogeneity, sometimes requiring morphometric, immunohistochemical or genetic research.