title: Neoplastic Salivary Gland Lesions:A Retrospective Analysis of 135 Cases from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although a variety of etiological factors have been implicated in some salivary gland tumours, most salivary gland neoplasms are idiopathic making it difficult to explain the striking epidemiological differences in their global distribution.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and the distribution pattern of salivary gland neoplasia in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos and to provide data for comparison with other epidemiological findings in different geographic locations.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study of cases of neoplastic salivary gland lesions seen from 2001 to 2012. 135 cases were extracted from pathology records and data on incidence, age, gender, site and histological diagnosis of the various tumours were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Benign lesions accounted for 77 (57%) cases while only 58 (43%) cases were malignant. Fifty-eight (43%) were found in males while seventy-seven (57%) occurred in females giving a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3. The mean age at diagnosis (+SD) was 41.1+16.7 (range 5-83 years) and the peak incidence was in the 5th decade of life (32 cases, 23.7%). Seventy-seven (57%) were benign while fifty-eight (43%) were malignant. The palate was the most common site accounting for forty-five (33.3%) cases. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) was the most common salivary gland tumour reported accounting for sixty-seven (49.6%) cases. This is followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) (27 cases, 20%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We reported PA as the commonest benign salivary gland tumour. Contrary to many other Nigerian studies, our series revealed that ACC is the commonest malignant salivary gland tumour. This may be due to misdiagnosis of cases of ACC as other histologically similar lesions in other centres. Contrary to reports in many other studies where the parotid accounts for the commonest site, the palate was the commonest in our series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Lagos State University College of Medicine,Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Adebiyi
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Emmanuel
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult