[Spontaneous parotid gland infarct].

Infarction of the parotid gland after surgery is caused by local ischaemia of the glandular tissue. The pathohistological changes are similar to those of necrotizing sialometaplasia of the minor salivary glands. A case of spontaneous infarction of the parotid gland in a 77 year old man is presented. The clinical appearance, sialometric, sialochemical, sialographic, cytological and microscopic features are described. The similarity of the morphological pictures of necrotizing sialometaplasia and squamous cell carcinoma and the resulting difficulties for differential diagnosis are discussed.