The incidence of malignancy in neoplasms of the submandibular salivary gland.
OBJECTIVE
To test the validity of the reported high incidence (50%) of malignancy in neoplasms of the submandibular salivary gland, and to compare it with that of the parotid gland.


METHODS
This is a retrospective analysis of major salivary gland neoplasms in 127 patients who were treated between August 1988 and December 2004 (15 1/2 years) at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria.


RESULTS
All but 1 of the patients were black. There were 100 benign and 27 malignant tumours. Thirty tumours were in the submandibular gland, including 3 malignant tumours, i.e. 10%. Of 97 parotid gland tumours, 24 (24.7%) were malignant.


CONCLUSIONS
The 10% incidence of malignancy in neoplasms of the submandibular gland in our series is much lower than the 50% reported in the literature. We postulate that race (black ethnicity) is probably a factor in this low incidence.
Schoeman
B J
BJ
Department of Surgery, Kalafong Hospital and University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
Clifford
S D
SD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000473:pathology*