Objectives To evaluate the diagnostic of histological and immunomorphological studies of enlarged submandibular salivary glands (SSG) in the diagnosis of systemic diseases.

Methods We examined 14 patients (male – 4, female - 10), mean age - 52.4 years (26 - 76) with unilateral or bilateral enlargement of SSG. All the patients were taken samples of SSG tissue. The applied techniques were extirpation of the SSG (n=8), incisional biopsy (n=3), needle biopsy (n=2), autopsy (n=1). In all cases histological and immunomorphological examination of SSG tissue. Eleven patients had xerostomia. Sialography showed parenchymal sialadenitis in 3 patients. Six patients had markers of autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies, anti-SSA, anti-SSB, ACCP, hypergammaglobulinemia), 4 – had signs of acute inflammation (CRP, elevated ESR).

Histological study of enlarged submandibular salivary glands, especially when using a minimally invasive incisional biopsy, is a useful and informative method of diagnosing a wide range of systemic diseases.

Results Most patients are sent for examination with suspected primary Sjögren’s syndrome (n=6), sclerosing sialadenitis (n=4) or primary NHL (n=2). While the survey the initial diagnosis was withdrawn in 13 patients. On the basis of clinical, laboratory, histological and immunomorphological examination 6 patients were diagnosed with IgG4-RSD (Mikulicz’s disease (n=2), Küttner’s tumor (n=1), multifocal fibrosclerosos (n=2). In 7 cases various lymphoproliferative disease were diagnosed (MALT-lymphoma+rheumatoid arthritis (n=3), MALT-lymphoma+ pSS (n=1), primary AL-amyloidosis (n=2) and primary NHL (n=1). Generalized sarcoidosis was shown in 1 patient.

Conclusions Histological study of enlarged submandibular salivary glands, especially when using a minimally invasive incisional biopsy, is a useful and informative method of diagnosing a wide range of systemic diseases.

Disclosure of Interest None Declared