title: Minor salivary gland tumours in a Nigerian hospital: a retrospective review of 146 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This is a retrospective study of the location, diagnosis, sex and age distribution and treatment of minor salivary glands tumours of the upper aero digestive tract in Lagos, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case files and radiographs of patients treated over a 24-year period were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  These tumours constituted 40.4% of all salivary gland tumours in the series. The majority (62.3%) of these tumours was malignant, and the most common malignant tumour was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (19.2%). However, pleomorphic adenoma (34.2%) was the most common tumour overall. Both benign (67.2%) and malignant (23.9%) tumors were most frequently located in the palate. Both sexes were equally affected (Male-female ratio 1 to 1), but a higher proportion of benign tumours were found in the palate of females (75%) than their male counterparts (64%). Patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma were significantly older at presentation than those with pleomorphic adenoma and adenocarcinoma (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that majority of these tumours were malignant (62.3%), though pleomorphic adenoma was the most common tumour. They also confirm the high predilection of pleomorphic adenoma (61.8%) for the palate of Black Africans.
authors.affiliation: Dpt of Oral, Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Gbotolorun
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Arotiba
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Effiom
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Omitola
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult