Term | Definition |
mucocele (mucus extravasation phenomenon) | rupture of salivary gland duct with mucus spillage into soft tissues; most frequently in anterior and lower lip |
ranula | mucocele in the floor of the mouth |
plunging/cervical ranula | occurs when mucus dissects through mylohyoid and produces sweeping of the neck |
superficial mucocele | mucus accumulates right under surface epithelium and produces clear, small vesicles; common in posterior buccal mucosa and soft palate |
salivary gland duct cyst (mucus duct cyst, sialocyst) | epithelium-lined cavity that arises from salivary gland tissue but does not communicate with the lumen of the duct; contains watery fluid in the regions of the salivary ducts |
sialolith | dystrophic calcifications in salivary gland ducts, unrelated to blood calcium levels |
sialadenitis | inflammation of salivary glands from various causes; often Staph aureus and mumps |
surgical mumps | sialadenitis and enlargement in patients given atropine while NPO during surgical procedures |
acute sialadenitis | pain, swelling, purulence of salivary glands; usually bacterial and in parotid gland |
chronic sialadenitis | secondary to persistent salivary gland duct obstruction, usually from sialoliths; sialograms exhibit "sausaging" of Stensen's duct |
juvenile recurrent parotitis | most common salivary disorder in kids; recurring episodes of parotid swelling |
cheilitis glandularis | rare inflammatory disorder of labial minor salivary glands of unknown cause but probably sun damage |
xerostomia | subjective sensation of dry mouth, usually in females |
Sjogren syndrome | chronic systemic autoimmune disorder of salivary and lacrimal glands resulting in dry mouth and eyes
-{primary Sjogren}- process occurs alone
-{secondary Sjogren}- in conjunction with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus |
sicca syndrome | combination of dry mouth and eyes |
benign lymphoepithelial lesion | histologic pattern of Sjogren affected gland; acinar atrophy, lymphocytic infiltrate and residual ductal epithelium |
epimyoepithelial islands | duct cells and myoepithelial cells become hyperplastic and form these surrounded by lymphocytic infiltrate in Sjogren's |
Mikulicz disease | bilateral parotid and lacrimal gland enlargement due to benign lymphoepithelial lesions |
Mikulicz syndrome | any bilateral enlargement of parotid and lacrimal glands |
Schirmer test | strips of filtered paper that are placed in lower eyelid to gauge tear production |
adenomatoid hyperplasia | idiopathic process that affects hard and soft palates with painless, benign enlargements |
necrotizing sialometaplasia | secondary to ischemia of salivary tissue that leads to infarction and necrosis, 75% in posterior palate; often misdiagnosed as mucoepidermoid carcinoma but is benign and resolves in 5-6 weeks |
pleomorphic adenoma (benign mixed tumor) | most common salivary gland neoplasm; mixture of ductal and myoepithelial cells, painless, slow-growing, benign mass of considerable size |
Warthin tumor (papillary cyst adenoma lymphomatosum) | firm benign mass at tail of parotid/angle of mandible; associated with smoking |
canalicular adenoma | uncommon benign tumor in minor salivary glands, especially upper lip |
basal cell adenoma | uncommon benign neoplasm of basal cell layer of salivary gland ducts; 75% in parotid gland, most arise de novo |
mucoepidermoid carcinoma | most common malignant salivary gland tumor, can be in kids and mostly in parotid; can be confused with mucocele |
intraosseous mucoepidermoid carcinoma | uncommon malignant neoplasm from omnipotential odontogenic epithelium; develop with impacted teeth or odontogenic cysts, usually in the mandible |
acinic cell carcinoma | low-grade malignancy of mature-appearing serous acinar cells; can occur in kids |
malignant mixed tumors | malignant counterparts of benign pleomorphic adenoma with 3 patterns |
carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma | transformation of previously benign pleomorphic adenoma, usually after 15 years; a malignant mixed tumor |
carcinosarcoma | rare malignant mixed tumor of epithelial and stromal malignancies |
metastasizing mixed tumor | malignant mixed tumor that appears benign but exhibits metastasis in bones and lungs |
adenoid cystic carcinoma (cylindroma) | common malignancy of salivary glands with basaloid epithelial cells arranged in {cribriform/Swiss cheese pattern} and exhibits {perineurial invasion} |
cribriform / Swiss cheese pattern | arrangement of cells in adenoid cystic carcinoma; also exhibits {perineurial invasion) |
polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma | malignant salivary gland tumor, almost always in minor salivary glands with cells in many different patterns |
salivary adenocarcinoma, NOS | salivary gland carcinomas that defy existing classification scheme; 'trash bag' of unknown diagnoses |