1989 Volume 35 Issue 6 Pages 1514-1521
Sixty cases of salivary gland tumors at the Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery of Wakayama Medical College during a 22-year period are reviewed. The diagnosis of individual tumors was based on the World Health Organization classification.
1) 28 cases were benign tumors, and pleomorphic adenoma (27 cases) was the lesion most frequently encountered. In the group of malignant tumors (32 cases), mucoepidermoid tumor (12 cases) was the most frequently encountered lesion.
2) Malignant tumors occurred most frequently in the sixth decade of life, although benign tumors were equally common in all decades.
3) The palate was the site of most often involved. The next most common site of involvement for benign tumors was the parotid gland. For malignant tumors, the next common sites were the floor of the mouth and the retromolar region.
4) The average duration from onset of benign tumors and malignant tumors were 5.4 years and 2.2 years.
5) Painless swelling was the most common symptom presented. Pain and ulcer formation were presented with much greater frequency in cases of malignant tumors.
6) From the clinical behavior and end results, mucoepidermoid tumor of low-grade malignancy does not tend to recur or metastasize. Those of high-grade malignancy frequently recurred and metastasized.
7) Adenoid cystic carcinoma exhibits a marked tendency to metastasize to lungs 7-8 years after primary treatments.
