ABSTRACT

Aim:

Salivary Gland tumors are occasionally seen. They constitute approximately 3% of all head and neck tumors. This study presents the clinical characteristics of 128 patotid gland masses diagnosed and treated in our clinic.

Methods:

The files of 128 patients, who underwent parotidectomy for parotid gland mass in the First Ear-Nose-Throat Clinic of the Haseki Training and Research Hospital between January 2000 and January 2010, were reviewed retrospectively. The routine Ear-Nose-Throat examinations, the ultrasonography findings, the fine-needle aspiration biopsy results and those of the pathological examinations of the cases were assessed.

Results:

67 of the cases were female and 61 were male. The youngest patient was 12-year-old and the oldest patient was 77-year-old; the mean age was 49.4 years. The mean follow-up time was 5.9 years. 109 of the detected masses were benign, while 19 of them were malignant. The most frequent benign tumor was pleomorphic adenoma; on the other hand, the most common malignant tumor was mucoepidermiod carcinoma.

Conclusion:

Due to the fact that the tumors originating from the parotid gland demonstrate histologic diversity, that they are seen occasionally and the pre-operative diagnosis is difficult, it is hard to develop a standard treatment protocol.