Surgery for Benign Salivary Neoplasms

Salivary neoplasms are relatively infrequent entities that account for only 4% of tumors of the head and neck. Although slow-growing lesions of the preauricular area and submandibular space are often confused with sebaceous cysts, lymph nodes, or lipomas by the non-otolaryngologist, otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons recognize that all preauricular and submandibular masses should be considered a salivary neoplasm until proven otherwise. Surgery remains the treatment of choice for benign salivary gland neoplasms; however, techniques continue to evolve in order to preserve salivary function and reduce surgical morbidity. The goals of management of benign salivary neoplasms include accurate diagnosis of the lesion, complete surgical extirpation, and functional preservation of adjacent cranial nerves. Accurate diagnosis is aided by appropriate preoperative physical examination, imaging, and fine needle aspiration biopsy. Benign neoplasms typically present as slow-growing, painless, mobile masses without adverse features, such as tissue fixation, ulceration, a cranial nerve deficit, or regional lymphadenopathy. Preoperative imaging with ultrasonography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging reveals well-circumscribed lesions without an infiltrative growth pattern or associated adenopathy. Fine needle aspiration biopsy may favor a benign neoplasm, supporting the clinical presentation. Surgery for a benign or malignant salivary neoplasm is in essence a false dichotomy since the surgeon can never be completely confident of the diagnosis until the specimen is removed. The surgeon must recognize the significant overlap between benign and malignant salivary masses in terms of clinical presentation, imaging, and cytology, which requires the surgeon to remain vigilant and flexible at the time of surgery should tissue characteristics or frozen section analysis suggest a malignant process.