Salivary gland neoplasms in children: the experience of the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan.
BACKGROUND
Epithelial salivary gland tumors are very uncommon in pediatric age. We report a series of 52 cases treated at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan, Italy, over a 30-year period. These results are presented in conjunction with a literature review of salivary tumors with a view to providing an up-to-date overview of the clinical course, prognosis, and treatment options for this rare tumor.


METHODS
Fifty-two cases of epithelial salivary tumors were reviewed and the clinical-pathological information concerning tumor characteristics, therapy, and follow-up were collected. Patients' age ranged between 4 and 18 years.


RESULTS
The major salivary glands were the main site of tumor occurrence (79% of cases arose in parotid glands); 37 patients had benign tumors (pleomorphic adenoma), 15 had malignant tumors (12 mucoepidermoid carcinoma, 9 low grade). All the patients were treated by surgery; local relapses after parotidectomy were 4% and 25%, in benign and malignant tumors, respectively. When tumor enucleation was performed, recurrences occurred in 50% of benign neoplasms. At the time of the report, all patients with benign tumors were alive, 35(95%) without evidence of disease; only one patient with malignant tumor died of disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Epithelial salivary glands tumor in children had different characteristics compared with their adult counterpart with respect to the frequency of histotypes and site of occurrence, but their prognosis seems to be similar. Parotidectomy (total or superficial) is the best choice for achieving good cure rates in both benign and malignant tumors.
Guzzo
Marco
M
Otorhinolaryngology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, Italy. marco.guzzo@istitutotumori.mi.it
Ferrari
Andrea
A
Marcon
Ilaria
I
Collini
Paola
P
Gandola
Lorenza
L
Pizzi
Natalia
N
Casanova
Michela
M
Mattavelli
Franco
F
Scaramellini
Gabriele
G
D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People