Article
Diagnostics and therapy of malignant tumors of the parotid gland - a retrospective analysis of 60 cases
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Published: | September 7, 2006 |
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Introduction: Malignant tumors of the parotid gland are rare. They affect less than 20% of all tumors of the parotid gland and they need special diagnostics and therapy.
Methods: The records of 60 patients from 2000 and 2005 with a primary malignancy of the parotid gland were reviewed retrospectively. Recurrencies and metastases in the parotid gland were excluded.
Results: Adenocarcinomas (20%) and Mucoepidermoidcarcinomas (16%) were the most common tumors. There were 12 T1-, 22 T2-, 15 T3- and 11 T4-tumors with 40 N0-, 4 N1-, 13 N2b- and 3 N3- necks. Two patients showed with distant metastases.
55 patients could be treated by operation and 43 received postoperative radiotherapy. In 65% of the cases, the neck dissection was done during the parotidectomy, whereas in 21% of the cases it was done in a second operation. The facial nerve had to be resected (partially) in 36% of the operations. One third of the patients had a (partial) facial nerve palsy preoperatively.
Conclusions: First-line treatment of malignant tumors of the parotid gland should be the complete resection. A neck dissection and/or radiotherapy should be considered according to histology and tumor size.