CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MALIGNANT SALIVARY GLAND NEOPLASMS – A STUDY OF 150 CASES AT AFIP, RAWALPINDI (PAKISTAN)

Abstract

Objective: To study the clinicopathological aspects of malignant salivary gland tumors, diagnosed at AFIP, Rawalpindi (Pakistan).
Study Design: Descriptive study
Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi from Jan 2005-Dec 2009.
Patients and Methods: The study included all the cases diagnosed as malignant salivary gland tumors in the last five years. Records of all the tumors of head and neck region that presented during this period were analyzed and out of these clinicopathological features of malignant salivary gland tumors were studied. The data analysis included the age, gender, site of tumor and histopathological pattern.
Results: A total of 18685 malignant tumors presented in the last five years. Out of these, malignant tumors of head and neck were 2165. Total malignant salivary gland tumors were found out to be 150 with an overall frequency of 0.8% and frequency in head and neck malignancies was found out to be 6.9%. The age ranged from 6-80 years (mean 48.02 + 1.23). Of these 150 cases, 58.7% were males and 41.3 were females with a male to female ratio of 1.4:1. The most common tumor seen was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (49.3%) followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma (31.3%). A total of 48.7% of the tumors originated in minor salivary glands. Parotid gland was the second most commonly involved site (40.7%).
Conclusion: Malignant salivary gland neoplasms are a common malignancy of head and neck region and their frequency is slightly more in our population. Almost half of the tumors originated in minor salivary glands and mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most common type of malignancy.