Introduction:

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an immune-mediated condition associated with fibroinflammatory lesions that can occur in almost any anatomical site. Histopathological examination is essential when suspected to diagnose it to exclude malignancy and other diseases. The objective of this study was to describe the histological findings of the minor salivary gland biopsy (GSL) in patients diagnosed with IgG4-RD, and subsequently to correlate these findings with the histology and immunohistochemistry of the major salivary gland (GSM).

Materials and methods:

retrospective, observational and descriptive study on a cohort of 40 patients diagnosed with RD-IgG4. Twenty-six patients diagnosed with IgG4-RD who presented SLG biopsies were included.

Results:

the 73% of the samples presented a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate and 11% of them fibrosis with a non-storiform pattern. In no case was obliterative arteritis or any form of phlebitis found. When comparing the findings of the GSM biopsies, there was no statistical significance. Sixty-five percent of the patients presented extraglandular involvement; the pancreato-hepato-biliary system and the adenopathies were the most affected.

Conclusions:

incisional biopsy of the submandibular gland would be more useful and appropriate than LSG for a definitive diagnosis of IgG4-RD.

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