INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The salivary gland neoplasms are a clinically and morphologically diverse group of lesions able to determine important diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The objective of this study is to determine the relative frequency and distribution of salivary gland neoplasms diagnosed at Aldenora Bello Institute of Oncology - Maranhão State (Instituto Maranhense de Oncologia Aldenora Bello [IMOAB]). MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was performed a retrospective analysis of the salivary gland neoplasms diagnosed at IMOAB between January 1997 and December 2007. Data regarding gender, age, and anatomic site were retrieved from medical records. Histological slides were evaluated by light microscopy and cases were categorized according to the World Health Organization classification(4). The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 232 cases were identified, of which 178 were benign neoplasms (76.7%) and 54 (23.3%) were malignant. The three most frequent histological types were pleomorphic adenoma (59.5%), Warthin's tumor (13.8%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (6.9%). Most cases were diagnosed in females, with a male-female ratio of 1:1.3. The benign and malignant neoplasms showed incidence peaks at the 4th and 7th decades of life, respectively. Regarding anatomic site, 154 cases (66.4 %) affected the parotid gland, 43 (18.5%) affected the submandibular gland and 35 (15.1%) involved minor salivary glands. CONCLUSION: In association with other studies, the present results suggest slight variations in the relative frequency and distribution of salivary gland neoplasms between Brazilian and worldwide populations.
Epidemiology; Mouth neoplasms; Salivary glands diseases
