Salivary gland neoplasms in children

We reviewed 20 children with salivary gland neoplasms treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital between 1964 and 1990. Retrospective analyses of pathological features and the clinical courses of these cases constituted the bases of the present study. The age of onset was late childhood in 19 cases, ranging from 9 to 20 years, but one patient was 1 year old. Approximately half (55%) the neoplasms were malignant. Histologically, all the benign neoplasms were pleomorphic adenomas (nine cases) and the most common malignant neoplasm was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (six cases, 55%), followed by adenocarcinoma (three cases, 27%), adenoid cystic carcinoma (one case, 9%) and malignant mixed tumor (one case, 9%). Recurrences of pleomorphic adenomas occurred only in the three patients initially treated with enucleation; meanwhile, five patients treated with superficial parotidectomy, and one with submandibular glandectomy, had no recurrence. Recurrences of malignant tumors occurred in all six patients initially treated with enucleation only and in one with superficial parotidectomy but not in two patients treated with total parotidectomy. In seven patients treated with prophylactic neck dissection, no metastasis was identified pathologically. The results support no enucleation of the tumor being applied at the first operation for curing both benign and malignant salivary gland tumors. The indication for radical neck dissection appears to be limited.