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Tissue that has lost its track: Warthin’s tumour

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Abstract

The origin of cystadenolymphoma (Warthin’s tumour) of the parotid gland is unknown. According to the most favoured hypothesis, Warthin’s tumour results from the proliferation of salivary gland ductal cells that were entrapped in parotid lymph nodes during embryonal life. If this is correct, and the almost total lack of recurrence and malignant transformation of this lesion lends credence to this view, Warthin’s tumour is correctly classified in the group of tumour-like lesions and should not be considered to be a monomorphic adenoma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Professor Günter Klöppel and Kay Dege for critically reading the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Philipps University, Deutschhausstr. 3, 35037, Marburg, Germany

    A. Teymoortash & J. A. Werner

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  1. A. Teymoortash
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  2. J. A. Werner
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Correspondence to A. Teymoortash.

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Teymoortash, A., Werner, J.A. Tissue that has lost its track: Warthin’s tumour. Virchows Arch 446, 585–588 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-005-1276-5

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