Abstract
Seven cases of benign recurrent parotid gland tumors (male: 1, female: 6) were studied clinically. The average age of the six patients with pleomorphic adenoma was 41.5 and one patient with adenolymphoma was 75 years old. The average age of patients with pleomorphic adenoma at initial surgery was 29.7 and that of those with adenolymphoma was 65. Patients with pleomorphic adenoma received initial surgical therapy while they were much younger than other patients without recurrent pleomorphic adenoma. The period between initial surgery and the tumor recurrence ranged from 4 to 13 years. Most patients did not visit the hospitals immediately despite noticing the recurrent tumors and few patients visited the hospitals where they received the initial surgical therapy. None of the patients had any local pain or facial nerve paralysis. Surgical excision was carried out. Pathologically, two cases had single recurrent tumor and the other cases had multiple recurrent tumors. Many recurrent tumors of pleomorphic adenoma were type 1 or 2 on Seifert's classification of pleomorphic adenoma. Type 2 tumors surrounded by adipose tissues had no tumor capsule. The patient with adenolymphoma developed two tumors and it was unclear whether these tumors were recurrent tumors or regrowth of residual tumors. Post surgically, three patients showed facial nerve paralysis including transient cases. In six patients who received the atypical surgery initially, it was possible to locate the facial nerve at the main trunk but some cases required resection of the nerve branch. In one case who underwent standard initial surgery, the increase in fibrous tissues was remarkable and safe preservation of the whole facial nerve was very difficult. It was suggested that in the initial surgical therapy, the physician must resect the tumor sufficiently and then maintain records of the pathological data and the surgical findings (especially a map of the facial nerve) for a long time, considering the potential for recurrence.
