ONCOCYTIC TUMORS OF SALIVARY-GLAND TYPE - A STUDY WITH EMPHASIS ON NUCLEAR-DNA PLOIDY

We studied nine cases of oncocytic tumors of salivary gland type in or der to evaluate their clinico-pathologic profiles and nuclear DNA patt erns as criteria for the differential diagnosis between benign and mal ignant forms. The tumors were located at the parotid gland, palate, an d orbit. The age of the patients ranged between 35 and 85 years and th e sex ratio (F:M) was 1:0.8. Seven tumors were capsulated and had typi cal cytology: they were composed of polyhedrical cells with large, eos inophilic, and granular cytoplasm and dark nucleus. The remaining two tumors exhibited malignancy criteria for the oncocytic tumors: atypia, pleomorphism, and mitosis. The evaluation of the nuclear DNA content was also distinct: benign tumors had a DNA diploid pattern and the mal ignant neoplasms displayed a DNA aneuploid pattern. These observations point to DNA nuclear assessment as an additional criterion to discrim inate neoplasms with divergent clinical behavior and prognosis.