An ultrastructural study of oncocytoma and oncocytic carcinoma of the parotid gland

One case of oncocytoma and another of oncocytic carcinoma of the parotid gland are reported with ultrastructural studies. The incidence of oncocytoma varies from 0.1% to 1.4% of all parotid gland tumors, while oncocytic carcinoma is extremely rate. The oncocytoma was composed of polyhedral cells with fine eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and a rounded nucleus. The tumor cell clusters were surrounded by basement membrane. The tumor cells of the oncocytic carcinoma were also characterized by eosinophilic cytoplasm, but cellular atypia and mitotic figures were found. Electron microscopically, the cytoplasm of the oncocytoma was packed with abundant mitochondria. They were oval or elongated in shape with stacked cristae. Although the tumor cells of the oncocytic carcinoma also contained many mitochondria, their number was less than that of the benign case, and stacked cristae were very few. Basement membrane was not seen. The ultrastructural characteristics of oncocytoma and oncocytic carcinoma of the parotid gland are discussed with reference to previous reports.