GLOMUS APPARATUS IN THE HUMAN PALATAL MUCOSA

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Introduction. Precapillary arteriovenous shunts, or Sucquet-Hoyer canals, of the skin play a significant role in thermoregulation. Glomus bodies are frequently found in the reticular layer of the dermis within the fingers, toes, or the external ear. Although less frequently mentioned, similar glomeral apparatuses, composed of endothelium lined lumina surrounded by «epitheloid» cells and a thick connective tissue capsule, also are apparent in the palatal mucoperiosteal tissue. Material and Methods. Palatal mucosal blocks were harvested from 10 formadehyde fixed human cadaver heads and 15 micrometer paraffin sections were stained with haematoxylin eosin or AZAN. The basement membrane was visualized by periodic acid Schiff (PAS) reagent. For immunocytochemistry parallel sections were reacted against vimentin and tyrosine hydroxylase. Results. The subepithelial connective tissue of the hard palate contains a peculiar course of vascular network deriving from the descending palatine arteries. Small precapillary arterioles, giving rise to the arteriovenous shunts and surrounded by a tyrosine hydroxylase reactive neural plexus are embedded in a dense connective tissue network intermingling with seromucous palatal glands. The endothelial lining of the glomera is separated from the «epitheloid» cell mass by a PAS reactive basement membrane. Most of the «epitheloid» cells exhibit vimentin positivity thus suggesting a mesenchymal/pericyte origin. Glomus bodies are obligatory components of the deeper dermal layer of skin, however, they are mostly discussed with relevance to forming solitary or multiple benign tumors. Conclusions. The oral representation of glomeral bodies is very rarely taken into account and only in association with inflammatory diseases or benign masses. However, these complex entities may act not only as thermoregulatory but also as mechanical schock absorbing units of the lining of the oral cavity proper.