title: Cervical lymph node metastasis in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the major salivary glands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the prevalence of cervical lymph node metastasis in adenoid cystic carcinoma of major salivary glands, and to establish recommendations for elective neck treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search was conducted of the US National Library of Medicine database. Appropriate articles were selected from the abstracts, and the original publications were obtained to extract data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 483 cases of major salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma, a total of 90 (18.6 per cent) had cervical metastasis. The prevalence of positive nodes from adenoid cystic carcinoma was 14.5 per cent for parotid gland, 22.5 per cent for submandibular gland and 24.7 per cent for sublingual gland. Cervical lymph node metastasis occurred more frequently in patients with primary tumour stage T3-4 adenoid cystic carcinoma, and was usually located in levels II and III in the neck.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the major salivary glands is associated with a significant prevalence of cervical node metastasis, and elective neck treatment is indicated for T3 and T4 primary tumours, as well as tumours with other histological risk factors.
mesh_terms: D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013362:Sublingual Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013365:Submandibular Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma; Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis; Parotid Gland; Sublingual Gland; Submandibular Gland