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A qualitative and quantitative electronmicroscopic study of the structure of the adenoid cystic carcinoma of human minor salivary glands
Author(s) -
Chisholm Derrick M.,
Waterhouse John P.,
Kraucunas Eugenia,
Sciubba James J.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of oral pathology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0714
pISSN - 0904-2512
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1975.tb01859.x
Subject(s) - myoepithelial cell , pathology , cribriform , adenoid cystic carcinoma , adenoid , salivary gland , cyst , squamous metaplasia , biology , basement membrane , anatomy , carcinoma , medicine , epithelium , immunohistochemistry
. The fine structural characteristics of five adenoid cystic carcinomas of human minor salivary glands and a quantitative assessment of the relative volumes occupied by morphologically defined cell types in these tumors are reported. We observed that the cyst‐like spaces which give the characteristic cribriform pattern to the adenoid cystic carcinoma contain replicated basement membrane‐like material. Material comprising aggregates of fine tubules having a median diameter of 270 A, and rounded, electron dense bodies were noted within duct‐like lumena of one tumor. In addition, dilatation of the intercellular spaces and squamous metaplasia were noted. From 500 electronmicrographs obtained by standardized techniques and used for the morphological part of the study, 175 were selected by a random sampling method and analyzed by the stereological technique of point counting. This method demonstrated that duct type cells occupied 75 % by volume of the tumor in these glands; myoepithelial cells occupied 3 %, acinar cells occupied 2 %, and other tissues occupied 22 % of the tumors. These proportions differ significantly ( P < 0.001) from our previously published figures for normal specimens of these glands.