Ultrastructure of chronically inflamed human submandibular glands.

The structure of chronically inflamed submandibular glands from four patients was examined by electron microscopy. The patients were free of the sicca syndrome and lacked other symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome or related autoimmune diseases. The affected glands were characterized by a reduction in acinar elements, by ductular proliferation and hyperplasia, and by large numbers of inflammatory cells in the stroma. This study indicates that many of the ultrastructural changes in salivary glands previously attributed to autoimmune diseases may also occur in patients who are free of such afflictions but whose salivary glands have undergone intermittent obstruction or infection.