[Tumoral pathology of salivary glands. Our experience].

INTRODUCTION AND

OBJECTIVES

We report a descriptive epidemiologic study of 63 patients with major and minor salivary gland tumours diagnosed at our centre over the last ten years.

METHODS

The data collected from all patients included gender, age, location, histopathology, diagnostic procedures, treatment and follow-up.

RESULTS

Among the 38 males and 25 females, we found 39 with benign tumours and 24 with malignant tumours. Most of these tumours (42; 67%) arose in the parotid gland, 12 (19%) in the submaxillary gland, 7 (11%) in the palate and 2 (3%) in external auditory canal. The mean age was 54 years for benign tumours and 80 years for malignant ones. The most common benign tumours found were pleomorphic adenomas (67%) whereas epidermoid carcinoma (54%) followed by lymphomas (25%) were the most frequent among malignant tumours.

CONCLUSIONS

We have found two main differences with previously reported studies: the elevated mean age of patients with malignant tumours and, probably as a result of this advanced age, the high incidence of squamous cell carcinoma due to metastatic dissemination of skin cancers.