Salivary gland neoplasia in childhood

Salivary gland tumours, benign or malignant, are rare in childhood and as a result may be misdiagnosed and treated inappropriately. Ten children with salivary gland tumours have been treated by the author over a period of 18 years. Four tumours were benign and six malignant. Treatment in all cases was by surgical excision. There has been one recurrence, treated by further surgery, in an acinic cell carcinoma. Three cases had inadequate surgery or biopsy before referral. These findings reflect other series, which demonstrate that a solid tumour in a salivary gland in childhood is more likely to be malignant than to be benign.