A 10-year clinical review of submandibular triangle masses

This study addresses the gap in retrospective analyses concerning submandibular triangle masses, utilizing a large Chinese cohort, to provide experience for preoperative diagnosis and a basis for individualized treatment.

Details were collected including basic demographic information, medical histories, physical examination findings, imaging results, and histopathologic diagnoses for 608 patients who underwent surgical procedures in the submandibular triangle at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, from January 2009 to June 2019. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify differences between malignant and benign masses, employing both univariate and multivariate analyses.

The cohort comprised 405 males and 203 females, with an average age of 43.2 ± 17.5 years (range 1 to 80 years). The prevalence of congenital masses, inflammatory masses, and tumors were 2.6%, 63.5%, and 33.9%, respectively. Among the identified tumors, benign, borderline, and malignant tumors represented 48.4%, 1.6%, and 50.0%, respectively. Pleomorphic adenoma and lymphoma emerged as the most frequent benign and malignant pathologies, respectively, with metastatic tumors primarily originating from head and neck cancers. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences based on sex, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, betel nut chewing habits, mass characteristics (mobility and texture), and the presence of cervical lymph nodes. Multivariate analysis identified age, alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing as significant risk factors for malignancy.

A comprehensive analysis of clinical parameters aids in the preoperative diagnosis of submandibular triangle masses.