Primary epithelial salivary gland tumours in children and adolescents

Primary epithelial tumours of the salivary glands are very rare in paediatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical course, treatment, and outcomes of these uncommon neoplasms based on the authors' experience and the recent literature. The medical charts of 12 female patients and seven male patients with primary epithelial salivary gland tumours were reviewed. All were under 19 years of age and underwent surgical treatment between 1994 and 2016. The results of this group of paediatric patients were compared with those of 621 adult patients. The two most common tumours in the paediatric patients were pleomorphic adenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (89.4%; P=0.004). The incidence of facial nerve palsy following surgery of the parotid tumours was similar in the two groups (P=1.000). The most common primary cancer in the paediatric group was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (77.8%), while in the adult group, adenoid cystic carcinoma was most common (P<0.001). The paediatric group had only low-grade cancers in early stages (P<0.001), with an overall 5-year survival rate of 100%. These results show that the incidence of malignant salivary gland tumours is higher in paediatric patients than in adult patients. This should be taken into account during diagnosis and therapy.