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Review
. 2022 Dec 1;29(12):9416-9427.
doi: 10.3390/curroncol29120740.

Transoral Approach to Parotid Tumors: A Review of the Literature

Giuseppe Riva  1 , Andrea Lorenzi  1 , Andrea Borello  1 , Andrea Albera  1 , Andrea Canale  1 , Giancarlo Pecorari  1
Affiliations
Review

Transoral Approach to Parotid Tumors: A Review of the Literature

Giuseppe Riva et al. Curr Oncol. .

Abstract

Different surgical techniques have been proposed for parapharyngeal space tumors, including transcervical, transparotid, trans-mandibular, infratemporal, and transoral. The choice of the correct approach depends on the size, localization and nature of the tumor. The transoral approach can be used for benign prestyloid masses, such as tumors of the deep lobe of the parotid gland. It guarantees a short hospitalization without skin scars. The narrowed access represents the main limitation of this technique. This review will summarize and analyze the current knowledge about the transoral approach to parotid lesions. Thirty-seven studies were included in a qualitative and quantitative synthesis. The novelty of this review is the quantitative analyses of the clinical data reported in the included studies.

Keywords: parapharyngeal space; parapharyngeal space tumor; salivary gland; salivary tumor; transoral approach.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Anatomical representation of the parapharyngeal space. Abbreviations: CN, cranial nerve; ICA, internal carotid artery; IJV, internal jugular vein; m./mm., muscle(s).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Review of the English literature through PubMed and Scopus, accessed on 30 October 2022. Primary search was performed using the terms “parotid AND transoral AND (tumor OR cancer OR adenoma OR Warthin)”.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Tumor histology in transoral approach (n, %). Abbreviations: AC, adenocarcinoma; BCA, basal cell adenoma; CXPA, carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma; MEC, mucoepidermoid carcinoma; NR, not reported; O, oncocytoma; PA, pleomorphic adenoma; WT, Warthin tumor.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Complications in transoral approach.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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