2005 Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 167-170
The authors present a case of intraductal papilloma. It is the rarest among ductal papillomas, which is a group of salivary gland neoplasms that comprise three different histological sub-types : intraductal papilloma, inverted duct papilloma, and sialadenoma papilliferum. Intraductal papilloma is localized mainly in the ducts of minor salivary glands but it is rare in the parotid gland, the submandibular gland, and the sublingual gland. Patients' mean age is about 50-60 years. The growth is slow and asymptomatic. The overlying mucosa seems to be normal. Microscopically, the intraductal papilloma shows fibrovascular papillae surrounded by columnar or cuboidal epithelial cells to form a mass protruding into the duct lumen to create a cyst-like cavity ; usually mitoses are absent, but sometimes low grade cellular atypia is seen in a few areas. Preoperatory diagnosis is difficult, and only histopathologic examination is definitive. Fine needle aspiration biopsy is the best method for preoperative diagnosis, even if sometimes its results are deceptive. Excision is the resolutive therapy, and no recurrences after surgical excision have been reported. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis of various ductal papillomas with this single case of intraductal papilloma.