[A woman with an abnormality of the palate].

A 75-year-old woman was seen at the ENT department because of a bleeding tumor on the hard palate. The abnormality mimicked both clinically and histopathologically a malignant salivary gland tumor, but after excision it was diagnosed as necrotizing sialometaplasia. Clinicians should be aware of this rare and easily misdiagnosed benign disease, in order to avoid unnecessary treatment.