Salivary Gland - Edema

Salivary gland - Edema in a male F344/N rat from a chronic study. The clear space between the lobules (arrow) is evidence of edema.
Figure 1 of 2
comment:
Edema in the salivary gland is characterized by separation of the glandular tissue by clear space or eosinophilic fluid. Edema fluid is often lost at processing and therefore appears as clear spaces in tissues ( Figure 1

recommendation:
Edema occurring in the absence of other evidence of inflammation should be diagnosed and graded based on degree of separation of parenchyma by edema fluid and extent of the lesion within the salivary gland. When edema is part of an inflammatory process, it should not be diagnosed separately but should be described in the pathology narrative as a component of the inflammation.references:
Elmore S, Lanning L, Allison N, Vallant M, Nyska A. 2006. The transduction of rat submandibular glands by an adenoviral vector carrying the human growth hormone gene is associated with limited and reversible changes at the infusion site. Toxicol Pathol 34:385-392. Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16844666
Mosier DA. 2007. Vascular disorders and thrombosis. In: Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease, 4th ed (McGavin MD, Zachary JF, eds). Mosby, St Louis, MO, 63-99.
Web page last updated on: November 17, 2014