Granulomatous Inflammation

Granulomatous inflammation is a distinctive form of chronic inflammation characterized by the presence of tumor-like masses of granulomas. Sarcoidosis represents a non-caseating granulomatous disease that primarily involves the lungs. However, it is not unusual for sarcoidosis to also involve the salivary glands, with the parotid gland being the gland most often compromised. Tuberculosis, another granulomatous disease, differs from sarcoidosis in that it is a caseating granulomatous disease. Tuberculous intraglandular and paraglandular lymphadenopathies can involve the parotid gland area while swelling in the submandibular gland area is caused by paraglandular lymphadenopathies. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s), a potentially lethal granulomatous disease, is characterized by caseating granulomas of the upper and lower respiratory tracts, vasculitis of the small blood vessels and the presence of glomerulonephritis.