UNASSIGNED: A 37-year-old male patient suffered from a sudden swelling in the right submandibular region, started initially small and had gradually increased in size to reach 3-4 cm in 1 week, accompanied by pain and local fever. Ultrasonography and MRI imaging revealed the existence of a well-defined cystic lesion with sharp borders measuring 39.8 mm × 19.7 mm within the right submandibular gland. The cyst was removed surgically, and the diagnostic decision was determined based on histopathological observations as an inflammatory cyst in the submandibular gland. Sections were generated from different regions of the surgically resected inflammatory cyst and used to examine IL-34 expression by immunohistochemistry compared to normal salivary gland tissues. Immunohistochemical staining showed enhanced expression of IL-34 in the ductal epithelial cells and endothelial cells of blood vessels, with a tendency to be accompanied with high infiltration of immune cells, which suggests a possible involvement of IL-34 in the pathogenesis of salivary gland inflammation.
UNASSIGNED: In this report, we introduce interesting findings of enhanced IL-34 expression in a case of an inflamed submandibular gland. Our findings emphasize the pathological roles of IL-34 as an inflammation amplifier and angiogenic enhancer in inflammatory conditions, such as in salivary gland disorders.