Background: Many head and neck diseases manifest as neck masses with a wide range of pathologies from developmental lesions to malignancies. However, there is a lack of large-scale studies about the relative prevalence of these lesions in the neck region. Objectives: This retrospective study was conducted to assess the distribution of neck masses related to gender, age, pathology, and anatomical location. Patients and Methods: During a 13-year period (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009), the medical records of 1,208 patients with neck masses were collected from the department of pathology at Loghman educational hospital in Tehran, Iran. The cases were reviewed for data on gender, age, the type of origin tissue, the type of lesion, and the anatomical location. Comparisons between genders, age groups, and tissue origins were performed using the Chi-square test. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. All statistical tests were performed with SPSS 20 software. Results: Over a period of 13 years, a total of 1,208 patients (617 men and 591 women) had neck masses resected for pathological assessments. The median age of presentation was 42.1 (ranging from 6 to 83 years). Among the 1,208 cases, 33 cases (2.7%) developed in the pediatric group (≤ 15 years old), 466 cases (38.6 %) developed in the young adult group (16 to 40 years of age), and 709 cases (58.7%) developed in the adult group (≥ 40 years old). Both the inflammatory/infectious and neoplastic lesions were more common in the older adult group with 129 and 433 cases, respectively. The Chi-square test showed significant differences between the genders and the different types of lesions (P = 0.000) and between the different age groups and the different types of lesions (P = 0.000). The anterior triangle (n = 654; 54.1%) was the most common anatomical site for the neck masses, followed by the midline and anterior neck (n = 548; 45.4%), and the posterior triangle (n = 6; 0.5%). Conclusions:The age and location of neck masses are the most important variables. The data in this study showed that the neoplastic lesions (including metastatic lesions) were the most common neck masses and the anterior triangle was the most common anatomical location. In addition, age can play an important role in differential diagnosis. Therefore, any mass in the neck, especially in older patients, located in the anterior triangle must be considered neoplastic until proven otherwise.

Background: Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the oral mucosa in 0.5-2% of the world's population. It is more common in women compared to men and the mean age at the onset of the lesion is the fourth decade. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Lichenoid Reaction. Materials and Methods: A total of 41 biopsies diagnosed as Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Lichenoid Reaction and 15 samples as the control group were selected from the archives of Pathology Department of Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran from 2002 to 2009. All the paraffin blocks were cut for hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining to confirm the diagnoses and the samples were then prepared for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 21.0), the chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test, and independent-samples t test. Statistical significance between the groups was set at P < 0.05. Results: The H. pylori positivity was found in 29.7% and 14.8% of OLP, and OLR samples, respectively. Statistically significant difference was not observed compared to normal tissues (P = 0.661). The chi-squared test show no significant difference between the frequency of H. pylori positivity and the lesion type, gender, and site. Although H. pylori positivity was found in 59.2%, and 50 % of OLP, and OLR samples, respectively, statistically significant difference was not observed compared to normal tissues (P = 0.838). In addition, the chi-squared test show no significant difference between the site of the lesion and H. pylori positivity. H. pylori positivity was mostly found on the buccal mucosa (64.3%), however, H. pylori negativity was mostly found on the tongue (60 %) (P = 0.309). Additionally, the chi-squared test show no significant difference between the frequency of H. pylori positivity, and the gender (P = 0.517). Independent-samples t test showed no statistically significant difference between age and two patient groups statistically (P = 0.450).Conclusions: This present study reveals no significant difference between the presence of H. pylori in OLPs and OLRs. Yet, further studies with larger sample size needs to be done to prove this association.

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Background: Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands, which can be triggered by environmental factors such as viral infection. Chronic obstructive sialadenitis is the most common type of chronic sialadenitis and many different bacterial infections develop as a result of ductal obstruction. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the association of these lesions with the presence of Helicobacter pylori. Patients and Methods: A total of 56 biopsies diagnosed as Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and chronic sialadenitis (CS) due to sialolithiasis in submandibular glands, sublingual and minor salivary glands were selected (56 samples as examined group and 20 samples as control group). All the paraffin blocks were cut for hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining to confirm the diagnoses and then the samples were prepared for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining to detect H. pylori. Chi-squared test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Chi-squared test showed a significant difference between H. pylori positivity in the groups examined (P = 0.046) and between SS group and normal tissue samples (P = 0.013). There was no significant difference between gender and H. pylori positivity in examined groups examined (P = 0.574, P = 0.543, respectively). In addition, there was no significant difference between gender and H. pylori positivity in SS group (P = 0.119, P = 0.331, respectively) also in CS group (P = 0.981, P = 0.571). Conclusions: Bacterial infection has been suggested in the pathogenesis of both SS and CS. In addition, H. pylori is a resident of the oral cavity, thus may be involved in the development and progression of these lesions. Hence, search for H. pylori antibody in blood of patients with SS is suggested.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the numbers and mean areas of the AgNOR dots in the 3 most common salivary gland tumors. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy paraffin blocks histologically diagnosed as pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma were selected from the archives of the pathology department of Loghman hospital, Tehran, Iran and then cut and stained using the standard AgNOR method. The number and area of AgNOR dots were evaluated. Chi-square and Pearson correlation (2-tailed) tests were used for statistical analysis. The significance level was P < 0.05. Results:The chi-square test showed significant differences between tumor types and the numbers of AgNORs (P = 0.000) and between tumor types and areas of AgNORs (P = 0.000). Conclusions:The AgNOR technique can be used to diagnose salivary gland tumors.