Crystalloid architecture of a sialolith in a minor salivary gland.

A sialolith from a minor salivary gland of the mucosa of the upper lip was studied morphologically and analytically. Under stereoscopic microscopic visualisation, no core or any concentric laminar structure was found in the sialolith and it had a transparent glassy appearance. Scanning electron microscopy revealed differences between the internal structure of the sialolith and its external structure. No microbes were observed but some mineralized inclusion bodies were seen. X-ray diffraction indicated the absence of inorganic crystals in the sialolith, while energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis revealed a high content of S followed by Ca, Si and Na and little and scarce P on the fracture surface, with S, Na, Ca and P being distributed throughout the external coating of the sialolith. The results suggest that the sialolith was young and consisted of a crystalloid body with an incipient coating undergoing calcification.