title: Pretreatment Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Salivary Gland Tumors Is Associated with Malignancy.
abstract: To assess pretreatment levels in the counts and percentages of leukocytes and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors (SGTs) while investigating whether NLR is an inflammatory marker for distinguishing low- from high-grade parotid gland tumors.
  
  
  
  Case series with chart review.
  
  
  
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  
  This study was performed on 182 patients with SGTs (age range: 16-87 years; 93 male and 89 female) who were treated between January 2010 and May 2015. Pretreatment counts and percentages of leukocytes and NLR were measured preoperatively in benign and malignant tumors.
  
  
  
  Mean neutrophil percentage (63.50% ± 12.11% vs 58.76% ± 8.20%, P = .008) and NLR (3.29 ± 3.13 vs 2.13 ± 1.26, P = .008) were significantly higher in patients with malignant SGTs than in patients with benign SGTs. Mean lymphocyte count (2.42 ± 0.72 103/mm3vs 1.97 ± 0.87 103/mm3, P < .001) and percentage (30.67% ± 7.68% vs 26.86% ± 10.15%, P = .011) were lower in patients with malignant SGTs than in patients with benign SGTs. Mean lymphocyte percentage and NLR were significantly different between low- and high-grade malignant parotid gland tumors (P = .026 and P = .030, respectively).
  
  
  
  Elevated NLR could be an inflammatory marker to distinguish low- from high-grade malignant parotid gland tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey drmuratdamar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damar
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aykut Erdem
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dinç
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Utku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Aydil
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kizil
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fakih Cihat
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Eravcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bişkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Şevik Eliçora
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Işik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: high-grade malignant tumor; inflammatory marker; neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; salivary gland tumors