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Objective: To report the first examples of ectopic salivary glands of TMJ ligaments & capsules., Methods and Materials: Nine subjects with chronic TMJ disorders were found incidentally to have ectopic salivary glands (choristomas) within or near damaged TMJ ligaments and capsules. Clinicopathologic characteristics of 12 TMJs are summarized., Results: The 9 subjects were ages 22-64 years (average = 43.0); 6 were female. Microscopic examination revealed major, almost complete ligament replacement by dense, avascular fibrous scar tissue in all but 1 sample. Chronic inflammatory cells were present in the stroma of 3 samples. A total of 33 lobular, independent salivary structures of variable sizes were embedded in or near ligaments and/or capsules. Half were multiple in the same joint; 13 were bilaterally located in the joints of a single subject, with 8 small glandular lobules in one TMJ. All glands consisted of histologically normal serous acini except 1 which showed a focal lobule of mucus acini and another comprised only of mucus acini. Serial sections showed no connection to parotid glands. Some choristomas showed the aging phenomena of fatty infiltrates (n = 7) and oncocytosis (n = 7). Additionally, 3 of the 12 TMJ samples contained preauricular lymph nodes, with 3 nodes in 1 joint and bilateral involvement in 1 subject. Of the 5 identified nodes, all but one was hyperplastic, with nonspecific inflammatory histiocytosis., Conclusions: We report, for the first time, independent salivary gland choristomas (n = 33) within the soft tissues of the TMJ (n = 12), with one joint containing 8 such choristomas. All consisted of normal serous tissue except one, a mucus gland. Additionally, a fourth of TMJ surgical samples contained hyperplastic preauricular lymph nodes., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, the receptor status of the estrogens and progestins and their relationship to the oral mucosa and its disease processes have been described. However, investigations regarding the androgens have largely been neglected. The androgens have diverse physiologic effects throughput the body and mediate their actions through androgen receptors (ARS) in various target organs. One of these, the sebaceous gland of the skin (dermal sebaceous gland, DSG) has been evaluated extensively in regard to ARS status. However, to our knowledge, the ARS status of the oral sebaceous glands (OSG) has not yet been elucidated. We attempt to evaluate the ARS status of 10 cases of OSG, in addition to other tissue components of the oral mucosa, using immunohistochemical techniques with a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) ARS. Sebaceous glands in all cases examined exhibited a moderate to more intense degree in immunoreactivity for ARS. Other tissue components, however, including the overlying epithelium and vascular endothelium, were essentially nonreactive. Our results indicate that, like the DSG, the OSG may be a target for the androgenetic hormones.