Morphometric analysis of the parotid gland affected by alcoholic sialosis.
BACKGROUND
In alcoholic parotid sialosis, the gland is frequently enlarged due to ductal and/or acinar hypertrophy, ductal hyperplasy and stromal fat infiltration. The aim of this study was to determine acinar and ductal dimensions, the number of striated ducts and the proportion of fat tissue in patients with and without alcoholic parotid sialosis.


METHODS
Twelve parotid biopsy samples from patients with hepatic alcoholic cirrhosis and those from seven controls were used. A morphometrical study with a digital image analyser attached to an optical microscope was carried out. Direct and indirect indicators from acinar and ductal dimensions were recorded. The number of striated ducts and the proportion of fat tissue in stroma were determined. Fifteen records for each variable were taken. Mean values were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test (P <or= 0.05).


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in acinar and ductal dimensions and the number of striated ducts between alcoholic and control patients. The proportion of fat tissue in alcoholic parotides was significantly lower than that in the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These results do not corroborate previous qualitative descriptions about acinar and ductal hypertrophy and ductal hyperplasy in alcoholic patients. The main cause of parotid enlargement could not be stromal fat infiltration. The data could be used for differential diagnoses of sialosis.
Bohl
Luciana
L
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Cátedra de Morfología Animal, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. lbohl@biomed.uncor.edu
Merlo
Carolina
C
Carda
Carmen
C
Gómez de Ferraris
María Elsa
ME
Carranza
Miriam
M
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001706:Biopsy; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D010309:Parotitis / Q000473:pathology*; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
D004396:Coloring Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes