title: A study of the utility of silver nucleolar organizer regions in categorization and prognosis of salivary gland tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  this study aimed at assessing the utility of silver nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) staining in categorization and prognostication of salivary gland tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven malignant salivary gland tumors, 16 benign neoplasms, and 6 chronic sialadenitis lesions were stained using the technique described by Ploton et al. (1986).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean AgNOR counts for inflammatory lesions (1.67 +/- 0.19) and benign neoplasms (1.67 +/- 0.11), were less than for malignant neoplasms (3.59 +/- 0.55), P < .05. There was no significant difference between the mean AgNOR counts of different specific histological types and grades of malignant neoplasms. In addition, no correlation was found between mean AgNOR counts and the clinical course of malignant or benign salivary gland neoplasms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that AgNOR staining is useful for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions, but is neither helpful for discriminating between histological types and grades of malignant neoplasms, nor prognostication of malignant salivary gland neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. oluwabukolawale2003@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Bukola F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Adeyemi
authors.forename: Bamidele M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kolude
authors.forename: Effiong E U
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Akang
authors.forename: Jonathan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lawoyin
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012793:Sialadenitis / Q000473:pathology; D016622:Silver Staining