Tumours of minor salivary glands--a clinicopathologic study

The salivary gland system comprises 3 pairs of major glands ie, parotid, submandibular and sublingual and also thousands of lobules of minor salivary glands dispersed in oral cavity, nasal cavity, maxillary sinuses and upper airways. Most of the studies on salivary gland tumours included both major and minor salivary glands. Objectives of this study were to see the age, sex and site distribution of minor salivary gland tumours as well as cytohistologic correlation during their diagnosis. The study is a retrospective one and done in the pathology department of Medical College, Kolkata taking the cases referred from ENT and Surgery departments in the period from April 2008 to March 2011. There were 123 cases of salivary gland tumours including both major and minor salivary glands in this study. Out of these, 21 cases of minor salivary gland tumours were selected and further analysed. There were 9 cases of benign and 12 cases of malignant tumours. Most benign cases were pleomorphic adenoma and most of malignant were adenoid cystic carcinoma affecting maximally males above 40 years of age. For malignant cases the cytohistologic correlation was 100% whereas in benign it was 70%. We had no need of using immunohistochemistry as histologic diagnosis were clear-cut. Pathologic staging were done in most of malignant cases thus helping the clinicians to adopt better treatment protocol.