Microscopía de polarización y tumores de glándulas salivales humanas.

Introduction. Morphological studies with standard and special histological techniques provide basic information to the dentist and physician clinical about the nature of the disease process, which allows to raise the quality in histopathological diagnosis. Furthermore, picrosirius red staining collagen types possible to differentiate if the microscope using polarized light. Objective. The aim of this paper is to show our experience in the use of polarization microscopy and staining Picrosirius in human salivary gland tumors. Methods. We used tissue sections of benign salivary tumors (pleomorphic adenoma) and malignant (adenoid cystic carcinoma) stained with Picrosirius colored red. Were observed with microscope NIKON ECLIPSE LV 100POL to differentiate type I collagen (birefringence yellowish orange to orange and red) of type III collagen (green to yellow-green birefringence) in neoplastic stroma. Results. The results show a different profile of birefringence of collagen fibers of the stroma of benign and malignant tumors analyzed. In the stroma of malignant tumors predominance of collagen I was observed, compared with the benign tumor predominantly investigated collagen III. Conclusions. The staining method Picrosirius and observation network with polarized light microscopy is a simple, safe, specific, sensitive and inexpensive technique that allows us to analyze the collagens of salivary gland tumors. Collagen is one of the components of the tumor stroma; latter plays a critical role during carcinogenesis and its quantity and quality differs from one tumor to another in relation to prognosis and tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]