Intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors: a clinicopathological study of 546 cases

Abstract

Salivary gland tumors are uncommon and most reported series include tumors affecting both major and minor glands. Very few series have focused solely on intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors. The aim of this study is to report the clinicopathological data of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors in our oral biopsy files during the last 14 years. A total of 546 minor salivary gland tumors, including 305 benign (55.9%) and 241 malignant (44.1%) lesions, were reviewed. The two most common tumors were pleomorphic adenoma (181 cases, 33.2%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (125 cases, 22.9%), and the most commonly affected site was the palate (181 cases, 33.2%). The highest incidence was found in patients in the 5-7th decade of life, and females were more commonly affected than males in the vast majority of various histological types of tumors. Large series of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors help to understand their clinical and pathological aspects and consequently their proper management and prognosis.