Surgical presentation and outcome of parotid gland tumours

To assess the clinical presentation and outcome of surgical management of various parotid gland disorders requiring parotidectomy.

Case series.

Department of General Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, from January 2003 to December 2010.

Patients presenting in surgical OPD with parotid gland disorders requiring parotidectomy were included. Data were obtained through the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and patient charts. The sociodemographic profile of the patient, presenting features among patients, benign versus malignant nature of the disease, FNAC reports, type of surgical procedure instituted, complications encountered and histology reports of the surgical specimens were all recorded on a proforma. The data were subjected to statistical analysis with SPSS version 15.

Out of 126 patients, 62 (49%) were males and 64 (51%) females with mean age of 41 ± 12.6 years. All had presented with a lump usually painless. One hundred and fourteen (90.47%) patients had benign pathology while 9.52% (n = 12) had malignanciy. Superficial parotidectomy was carried out in 79.36% (n = 100) patients, total parotidectomy in 19% (n = 24) and extended total parotidectomy was performed in 2 cases (with mucoepidermoid carcinoma). The most common post-operative complication was greater auricular nerve paresis (n = 19; 15%) followed by facial nerve transient paresis (n = 10; 8%). There was no in-hospital mortality.

Parotid gland lumps commonly affect relatively young individuals of either gender. Most of the patients have benign pathology. Superficial parotidectomy is the most commonly offered surgical procedure. Parotid surgeries are safely performed in general surgery units with low morbidity and no mortality.