Necrotizing sialometaplasia. A review of the literature and report of two additional cases.

Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a nonneoplastic, inflammatory, variably ulcerated, occasionally bilateral, self-healing lesion of human salivary glands which is often confused clinically and histologically with squamous cell or mucoepidermoid carcinoma. On the basis of thirty-three documented cases, the lesion occurs primarily in the minor salivary glands of the palate (87.9 percent), with 63.6 percent arising in the fifth and sixth decades (average age 46.0 years, range 22 to 68 years). There is a marked predilection for males (ratio of males to females. 2.7:1) and a questionable predominance in Caucasians (60.6 percent). Numerous etiologic factors have been proposed; however, on the basis of previous animal experimentation, the lesion appears to be infarctive in nature.