Salivary Gland Biopsy

[RachelsMom]

  I hope someone can please help 'us' make heads or tails of my daughters Minor Salivary Gland Biopsy report. We went to her normal Ped. Rheumy and he didn't know what to make of the biopsy report (?!) so he's gonna call the physician who actually performed the biopsy and get back to me...!!!? Report reads; Microscopic Description- Sections show minor salivary gland tissue which has a moderate lymphocytic and plasmacytic infiltrate. Less than one focus of more than 50 inflammatory cells is seen per 4mm/2 Pathologic Diagnosis- Minor Salivary Gland Biopsy with Moderate Chronic Inflammation (Greenspan et al 2*)
Thanks for reading! :0)

[anita]

Rachelsmom,

From what I can tell you, the lip biopsy obviously shows some inflammation, but not enough to meet some criteria guidelines.  Most institutions (see Inga's thread titled Diagnostic Criteria) require at least one foci (aggregate of 50+ infiltrates) to be considered positive.  This would be classified as a Greenspan 3 or 4 to be positive.

The fact that there are some inflammation means that there is certainly a sicca process going on, but not necessarily sjogren's.  

If i remember correctly, you posted a while back that your daughter was/is taking acutane.  This would completely explain the findings...even if she had stopped it before the biopsy.  It would take months before tissue could expect to return to normal...maybe longer.  You should talk to the actual pathologist about his findings vs acutane use.

[RachelsMom]

Thank you Anita.