Küttner tumor

Küttner tumor (KT) refers to a chronic sclerosing sialadenitis of the salivary glands. Despite the term tumor, it is a non neoplastic condition.  It is classically described in relation the submandibular gland but less commonly can also affect other salivary glands ⁹ and occassionally as well as the lacrimal gland ⁶.

Clinical presentation

Clinically, it produces a firm swelling of the glands and may mimic neoplasia ^2-3. Patients may experience recurrent pain and swelling that is often associated with food ingestion. Some patients may have an asymptomatic hard swelling of the submandibular gland.

Pathology

It is sometimes considered as part of IgG4 related sclerosing disease ^11,13.

Histological classification

These lesion are can be classified according to four histological stages ^2,10 :

• stage I - lymphocytic infiltration around the salivary ducts
• stage II - diffuse lymphocytic infiltration and severe periductal fibrosis
• stage III - prominent lymphocytic infiltration, parenchymal atrophy and periductal sclerosis
• stage IV (end stage) - marked parenchymal loss and sclerosis (likened to that of liver cirrhosis).

Associations

• sialolithiasis - thought to be associated in ~30 to 80% of cases although it is still unclear whether the sialolithiais is the cause or result of the underlying inflammatory process ¹².

Radiographic features

MRI

• T1: slightly hypointense
• T2, STIR and DWI: slightly hyperintense ²

Treatment and prognosis

Many authors advocate excision of the lesion although there are also several reports of conservative managment - e.g with steroids.

History and etymology

It is named after H. Küttner, German physician, who described a series of patients with a unilateral, hard, tumor-like mass of submandibular gland in 1896 ⁸.

See also

• sialadenitis