[A metaplastic hypothesis of the histogenesis of ectopic salivary glands: apropos of two clinical cases].

We found in the literature a few cases reporting ectopic salivary glands occurring in the neck and in the mandible or in the maxila. We had two cases, one in the tongue, the other in the upper maxila retro incisal, and we have seen the coincidence of these locations and those of the embriogenic originated cysts. Even so the literature references also have almost all the cases reported with the same coincidence. Our hypothesis is that those ectopic salivary glands have their origin in embriogenic cysts and develop by a phenomenon of metaplasia.