Salivary Gland Neoplasms in Children

We reviewed 20 children with salivary gland neoplasms treatedat the National Cancer Center Hospital between 1964 and 1990.Retrospective analyses of pathological features and the clinicalcourses of these cases constituted the bases of the presentstudy. The age of onset was late childhood in 19 cases, rangingfrom 9 to 20 years, but one patient was 1 year old. Approximatelyhalf (55%) the neoplasms were malignant. Histologically, allthe benign neoplasms were pleomorphic adenomas (nine cases)and the most common malignant neoplasm was mucoepidermoid carcinoma(six cases, 55%), followed by adenocarcinoma (three cases, 27%),adenoid cystic carcinoma (one case, 9%) and malignant mixedtumor (one case, 9%). Recurrences of pleomorphic adenomas occurredonly in the three patients initially treated with enucleation;meanwhile, five patients treated with superficial parotidectomy,and one with submandibular glandectomy, had no recurrence. Recurrencesof malignant tumors occurred in all six patients initially treatedwith enucleation only and in one with superficial parotidectomybut not in two patients treated with total parotidectomy. Inseven patients treated with prophylactic neck dissection, nometastasis was identified pathologically. The results supportno enucleation of the tumor being applied at the first operationfor curing both benign and malignant salivary gland tumors.The indication for radical neck dissection appears to be limited.