Clinicopathological Features of Cystadenoma of the Salivary Glands: A Systematic Review

Cystadenoma of the salivary glands (CSG) is a rare benign, multicystic neoplasm, representing approximately 1%-4.7% of all benign salivary gland tumors. This study aimed to systematically review the clinicopathological data reported on case reports and case series of CSG.

This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Comprehensive searches were performed across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase electronic databases.

A total of 81 studies were included, encompassing 126 cases of CSG. A slight female predominance was observed (54.91%), with a mean patient age of 54.2 ± 21.5 years. The median lesion size was 1.4 ± 1.6 cm. The parotid gland was the most affected site (23.47%). Most cases were asymptomatic (86.58%), and nodular presentation was noted in 70.96%. Mucocele was the most suspected clinical diagnosis. Histopathologically, the papillary subtype was predominant (67.03%), with oncocytic cells prevailing, followed by columnar and cuboidal cell types. Of the 57 cases with available data on growth pattern, 38 were multicystic and 19 unicystic. Immunohistochemical analysis frequently involved the use of p63, MUC4, MUC1, and CK7. All cases were managed surgically, with a recurrence rate of 6.25%. The median follow-up period was 12.1 ± 23.2 months.

CSG is a rare benign tumor that predominantly affects the parotid gland in female patients, typically presenting as a multicystic lesion. Surgical excision remains the treatment of choice, with a generally favorable prognosis.