Salivary gland lymphomas

Abstract

This tutorial focuses on malignant lymphomas and inflammatory conditions as potential precursors of primary malignant lymphomas in salivary glands. Salivary glands display a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and are often associated with intra- and periglandular lymph nodes. Inflammation of the glands may variably produce duct ectasia, lymphoepithelial lesions, atrophy, and fibrosis. Primary lymphomas of the salivary glands may develop on the basis of autoimmune sialadenitis and comprise most frequently marginal zone lymphomas, less often monocytoid lymphomas or other lymphoma entities. In a large proportion of cases, lymphoma infiltrates are attributable to extraglandular lymphomas either as a leukemic infiltrate with diffuse enlargement or as a localized manifestation of primary nodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Diagnosis is based on conventional histology and immunohistology.