Abstract
We studied the risk factors of tumor spillage from the intraoperative and pathological findings in 20 patients with parotid pleomorphic adenoma, who underwent primary operation by our method. There were 18 patients who had tumor exposure out of the parotid gland during operation, due to tumor exposure all along, contact of the facial nerve, or operative manipulation. There were 17 patients with pathological capsules, including focal absence of the capsule, tumor invasion into the capsule and pseudopod/satellite nodule. In regard to histologic subtypes, focal absence of the capsule and pseudopod/satellite nodule were frequent in the myxoid-type tumors and tumor invasion into the capsule was frequent in the classic-type tumors. The facts of highly frequent tumor exposure and incomplete capsule in spite of low rate of recurrence after pleomorphic adenoma operation suggest a relatively low risk of tumor spillage during ablation of the exposed tumor surface. We also consider that our operation is a permissible method of pleomorphic adenoma surgery.
