Descriptive analysis of salivary gland tumours in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Salivary gland tumors are relatively uncommon lesions accounting for about 3-6% of head and neck tumors with 60 - 80% affecting the parotid glands.

Objective: The aim is to analyse descriptively the pattern of salivary gland tumor seen in Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of histological slides reviewed by the pathologist of patients with primary epithelial salivary gland neoplasms operated between 2001 and 2010, in Otorhinolaryngology and General Surgery. Information regarding age, gender, and anatomical location of the tumors was retrieved from the patients' hospital records. All information was entered into a SPSS computer software and result presented in tables and figures.

Results: A total of 56 case notes and slides were reviewed with 24 males and 32females (M:F-1.0:1.3), with the peak age of 21-30years in males and 31-40 among the females The mean age is 38.62yrs (SD = 18.4±2.5) . There were 31 (55.4%), 17 (30.4%), 8 (14.2%), parotid, submandibular and minor salivary glands tumours respectively. Histologically pleomorphic adenoma constituted the largest with 62.5% in both the submandibular and the parotid gland specimen analysis then, mucoepidermoid tumour in 26.7%, adenoid cystic carcinoma in 5.4% and 1.8% each of acinic cell tumour (malignant), poorly differentiated carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Conclusion: Salivary tumours were slightly commoner among females with pleomorphic adenoma in the third to fifth decades of life being the commonest benign tumour and mucoepidermoid the commonest malignant variants in the 5^th to 6^th decades of life.

Keywords: Salivary gland; Parotid; Pleomorphic adenoma; mucoepidermoid, females