Benign salivary gland tumors

  • Benign salivary gland tumors are highly variable.
  • Occurrence is independent of gender.
  • They usually grow slowly and painlessly.
  • Epithelia are more common than mesenchyme.
  • Therapy is surgical.
  • Pleomorphic adenoma (mixed tumor, myxochondroepithelioma) and papillary cystadenolymphoma (Warthin's tumor) are the most common.
  • We include several types of tumors here:

Pleomorphic adenoma

  • The so-called myxochondroepithelioma.
  • The most common tumor of the salivary glands.
  • Epithelial tumor, most often in the glandula parotis (and also the most common gl. parotis tumor).
  • Mainly in older and middle age, it is slowly growing.
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Pleomorphic adenoma, S-100 positive
  • Possible relapses.
  • The tumor often grows into the capsule, which increases the possibility of malignancy.
  • It manifests clinically as a painless swelling.
  • Several components alternate in the histological picture - an epitheliomatous component with a trabecular, ductal, acinous or solid arrangement, as well as a myxoid and chondroid component.

Papillary cystadenolymphoma (Warthin's tumor)

  • The second most common benign salivary gland tumor.
  • Occurrence mainly in gl. parotid and submandibular glands (9% of tumors in gl. parotid).
  • After the age of 40, more often men.
  • It is usually circumscribed, rigid, well mobile against the substrate, spherical, on sonography it can imitate a cyst.
  • Grows slowly.
  • 10% recurrence, malignant reversal is very rare.
  • It arises from the proliferation of epithelial inclusions in the intraparotic lymph nodes.
  • The characteristic histological picture is dominated by a double-layered epithelium with nuclei facing the lumen, the stroma is made up of lymphatic tissue.

Basal cell adenoma

  • 70% in gl. parotid, 20% minor glands of the lip.
  • Peak incidence in the 7th decade.
  • Possible transition to basal cell carcinoma.

Myoepithelioma

  • Rare.
  • Mainly affects gl. parotid gland.
  • May malign.
  • Unlike pleomorphic adenoma, they do not form ductal structures.

Oncocytoma

  • Occurrence in the 6th to 7th decade, more often in women.
  • Grows slowly, is mobile, small (up to 2 cm).
  • Forms a case, grey-red in section.
  • Recurrences do not occur, malignization only very rarely.
  • In the histological image, eosinophilic finely granular cells with an increased number of mitochondria are visible.

Canalicular adenoma

  • Incidence over 50 years.
  • Usually in the upper lip.

Sebaceous adenoma

  • Rare.
  • Well circumscribed, cystic, varying in size.

Papilloma ductulation

  • Not very common.
  • It arises from the epithelium of the ducts of small salivary glands.

References

  • LIŠKA, Karel. Orofacial Pathology. 1. edition. 1983. 
  • PAZDERA, Henry. fundamentals of oral and maxillofacial surgery. 1. edition. Olomouc : Palacký University in Olomouc, 2007. 0 pp. ISBN 978-80-244-1670-0.
  • WOTKE, George – ŽAMPACHOVÁ, Welcome. Histopathology practicum. 1. edition. 2002. ISBN 80-86297-09-8.
  • BRYCHTOVÁ, Svetlana – HLOBILKOVÁ, Alice. Histopathological atlas. 1. edition. 2008. ISBN 978-80-247-1650-3.