Kuttner tumor.

OBJECTIVE

Kuttner tumor or chronic sclerosing sialadenitis is a benign inflammatory condition of the salivary gland. Clinically, it produces a firm swelling of the gland and may be difficult to distinguish from neoplasia. This is an under-recognized entity in the surgical pathology and cytology literature. We describe our experience with Kuttner tumor.

METHODS

Retrospectively, we analyzed a group of 7 patients with chronic sclerosing sialadenitis treated from January 1999 to March 2010 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, FD Roosevelt Faculty Hospital in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. The authors evaluated age and sex distribution, patient's history, diagnostic procedures, extent and success of surgical treatment and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Four patients with chronic sclerosing sialadenitis were male and 3 were female. The mean age of patients was 55 years (ranging from 43 to 70 years). Submandibular gland was affected in 6 cases (85.7 %), involvement of both parotid glands was found in one patient (14.3 %). All patients in our study group were treated surgically. In 6 cases submandibular gland extirpation was performed via standard transcervical approach. Total parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation was realized in one patient with bilateral involvement of parotid glands.

CONCLUSION

Chronic sclerosing sialadenitis is a condition that is perhaps more common than thought but usually mis-recognised as it is only after excision of the gland that the correct diagnosis is made (Tab. 1, Ref. 17).