Tumours of the minor (oropharyngeal) salivary glands: a demographic study of 336 cases

Abstract

There are 2410 primary epithelial salivary gland tumours in the files of the British Salivary Gland Tumour Panel. Of these tumours, 336 (14%) involved the minor (oropharyngeal) salivary glands, and these were studied in the present investigation. Individual tumours were diagnosed according to the WHO Classification. The percentage of malignant or potentially malignant tumours (46%) was much higher than in major glands (18%), and in some of the less common intraoral sites all the tumours were malignant. The principal sites were the palate (54%), lips (21%) and buccal mucosa (11%), and, in these sites, pleomorphic adenoma was the most common tumour. Monomorphic adenomas accounted for 6% of palatal tumours, but 30% of lip salivary gland tumours. The most common malignant tumour was the adenoid cystic carcinoma. The results are compared with several other large surveys and with tumours of major salivary glands.