[Pleomorphic parotid adenomas and their recurrence]

Even today, a wide variety of techniques are performed in parotid pleomorphic adenoma surgery, ranging from enucleation to total parotidectomy. This study reports the results of our experiences. Among a total of 587 surgically treated parotid lesions at the Homburg/Saar University ENT Department from 1968 through 1991, 205 were parotid pleomorphic adenomas. Among these, 166 patients received primary surgery at our department. Twenty-one enucleations led to 3 recurrent tumors (14%), while 108 superficial parotidectomies had 3 recurrences (2.8%). Fifteen extended superficial parotidectomies also produced 3 recurrences (20%) and 22 total parotidectomies had one recurrent case (4.5%). The overall recurrence rate was 6%, but increased to 8.3% in 5 years, 9.5% in 10 years and 12.5% in 15 years follow-up. The "true" overall recurrence rate after 10 years was estimated to be between 9.5 and 20% and that for lateral parotidectomies between 4.4 and 13%. Patients younger than 30 years of age at the time of primary surgery developed a tumor recurrence in 17% of all cases. The overall recurrence rate following secondary surgery was 13%. Clinical findings and surgical techniques for resections of pleomorphic adenomas and their recurrences are discussed. Segmental parotidectomy is the preferred treatment, but may have to be changed locally to enucleation in some cases in order to preserve the facial nerve.