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Pathology of the salivary glands: The contribution of electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Dardick Irving,
BurfordMason Aileen P.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.1070270104
Subject(s) - salivary gland , pathology , electron microscope , parenchyma , ultrastructure , biology , medicine , optics , physics
Electron microscopy has a limited role in the diagnosis of primary salivary gland tumors, although it can be helpful in metastatic lesions of possible salivary gland origin. The diversity of subtypes in salivary gland tumors, as well as the range of histomorphology within any one subtype, is unparalleled in any other human tumor. This and their relative infrequency causes diagnostic problems for pathologists. Ultrastructural techniques have been of major importance in determining the inter‐relationship of these tumors for classification purposes, revealing the subtle variations in common cellular differentiation pathways, determining the organization of tumor cells, and displaying the importance of extracellular matrix materials in establishing diagnostic criteria for each of the many subtypes. Electron microscopy has also been valuable in non‐neoplastic salivary gland disease and has an increasing role in experimental studies involving tissue from human and animal salivary parenchyma. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.