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. 2023 Oct 27;69(11):e20230738.
doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20230738. eCollection 2023.

Is the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio a marker for differentiating between benign and malignant submandibular gland masses?

Adem Bora  1
Affiliations

Is the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio a marker for differentiating between benign and malignant submandibular gland masses?

Adem Bora. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). .

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio on the differentiation of benign and malignant masses in the submandibular triangle.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 48 patients who underwent surgery for submandibular gland masses between January 2013 and February 2023. The patient's age, gender, preoperative complete blood count and imaging findings, postoperative histopathological diagnosis, and hemogram data were analysed. Patients were evaluated according to their postoperative histopathological diagnoses and categorised into four main groups: sialolithiasis, sialadenitis, benign tumours, and malignant tumours. Benign submandibular gland disease formations were evaluated under group B and malignant tumour formations under group M.

Results: A preoperative fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed on 19 patients due to sialadenitis, pleomorphic adenoma, and malignant diseases other than sialolithiasis. One patient died among the patients with malignant disease and the remaining 7 patients were compared with the benign group of 40 patients regarding preoperative and postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. In the benign group, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was 2.64 preoperatively and decreased to 2.34 in the first postoperative year. The preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio decreased from 4.79 to 1.77 postoperatively in the malignant group. A statistically significant difference was observed (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio can be used as a biomarker in submandibular gland masses and has prognostic significance in malignant masses. In addition to fine needle aspiration biopsy results, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio can be used as a biomarker.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None of the authors report any conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. (A) Average age in benign and malignant diseases. (B) Distribution of patients who underwent submandibular gland excision according to the histopathological results.
Figure 2
Figure 2. (A) Comparison of preoperative fine needle aspiration biopsy results with postoperative histopathological results. (B) Comparison of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of benign and malignant diseases before and after surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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