Pleomorphic adenoma and benign parotid tumors: extracapsular dissection vs superficial parotidectomy--review of literature and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared extracapsular dissection (ED) vs superficial parotidectomy (SP) in the treatment of pleomorphic adenoma and benign parotid tumors.


METHODS
The research covered the years 1950-2011 in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus. Of 1152 articles screened, 123 studies met the inclusion criteria. A review of the nomenclature of the different parotid surgery techniques was done. Recurrence rate, permanent facial nerve paralysis, and Frey syndrome of patients who underwent ED vs those who underwent SP were compared by meta-analysis.


RESULTS
Our meta-analysis data comparing ED and SP found that: (1) the recurrence rate is higher in patients treated with SP; (2) SP has a higher incidence of cranial nerve VII paralysis; and (3) Frey syndrome is more common after SP.


CONCLUSIONS
ED may be a viable option in the treatment of unilateral benign parotid tumors of the superficial lobe, sized less than 4 cm, without involvement of the facial nerve.
Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy.
Enrico
E
Foresta
Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: A.torroni@gmail.com.
Andrea
A
Torroni
Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Francesco
F
Di Nardo
Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Chiara
C
de Waure
Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Andrea
A
Poscia
Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy.
Giulio
G
Gasparini
Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy.
Tito Matteo
TM
Marianetti
Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy.
Sandro
S
Pelo
D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004210:Dissection; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology