Salivary glands
Nonneoplastic tumors / tumor-like conditions
Lipomatosis
Author: Adriana Handra-Luca, M.D., Ph.D.
Last author update: 1 September 2012
Last staff update: 6 December 2020
Copyright: 2003-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Lipomatosis salivary
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Microscopic (histologic) images | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Handra-Luca A. Lipomatosis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/salivaryglandslipomatosis.html. Accessed January 16th, 2025.
Definition / general
- Diffuse deposition of adipose tissue (usually throughout parotid gland) with overall enlargement of gland but no distinct mass
- Associated with alcoholism, cirrhosis, diabetes, hormonal abnormalities, malnutrition
- May be preceded by sialadenosis (acinar cell hypertrophy, interstitial edema, ductal atrophy)
- Slow growing, usually in parotid gland, may affect children
- May recur
Case reports
- 5 month old girl with rapidly progressive parotid lipomatosis (Saudi Med J 2003;24:898)
- 9 year old boy (Int J Clin Pract 2009;63:335)
- 38 year old man with myoepithelioma of minor palatinal salivary glands with extensive lipomatosis (Laryngorhinootologie 2005;84:432)
- 47 year old man with well circumscribed 3 cm parotid nodule (Ann Pathol 2002;22:219)
- Slow growing parotid mass (J Pediatr Surg 1996;31:1422)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
In parotid gland of HIV+ man
Differential diagnosis
- Myoepithelioma: some cases have coexisting lipomatosis
- Pleomorphic adenoma: some cases have lipometaplasia or lipomatous foci (Am J Surg Pathol 2005;29:1389)
