Inverted ductal papilloma of minor salivary gland origin: morphological aspects and cytokeratin expression.

Ultrastructural features and cytokeratin expression of inverted ductal papillomas of minor salivary gland origin were studied. Under the electron microscope, an increased number of desmosomes and mucus-like granules in some cells were the most striking features. Immunohistochemical study revealed that tumor cells displayed strongly positive reactions with cytokeratins 13 and 14, and less strong reactions with cytokeratins 7, 8, 18 and 5D3. These results support the hypothesis that an inverted ductal papilloma can be derived from the proximal portion of a salivary gland excretory duct.