Salivary gland tumors in Iraqi children and adolescents

Abstract EN

Background : Tumors of the salivary glands constitute a heterogeneous group of lesions of great morphologic variation (1).

Salivary gland tumors are relatively uncommon if compared with all other oral tumors.

Materials and methods : This study aimed to present the prevalence of salivary gland tumors in Iraqi children and adolescents.

Data were obtained from the files of Iraqi cancer registry.

Results showed 62 cases that diagnosed histopathologically as benign and malignant salivary gland tumors during 24 years period (1976 – 1999).

Results : Out of 62 cases (22) were males, (40) females, (19) were children, (43) adolescents, (37) were malignant salivary gland tumor and (24) were benign tumors.

The most frequent benign salivary gland tumor was pleomorphic adenoma (37.1%).

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most commonly encountered malignant lesion (27.4%).

Major salivary gland tumors were more than those seen in minor glands they represented (70.9%) and (8.06%) respectively.

The parotid gland was the most common site (69.3%).

Children were presented by malignant lesions more than benign, whereas almost an equal occurrence of both types of neoplasms found in adolescents.

Most of the cases were from the median governorates of Iraq.

Tumors were mainly related to late eighties till late nineties.

Conclusion : Salivary gland tumors are uncommon lesions in Iraqi children and adolescents.