초록
Background and Objectives : This study reports our clinicopathological experiences of major salivary gland tumors. Materials and Methods : This study included 302 patients with major salivary gland tumors who had got the diagnosis from January 1995 through December 2004. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Results : We found 244 benign and 58 malignant major salivary gland tumors. Among 267 parotid tumors, the most common benign parotid tumor was pleomorphic adenoma. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and acinic cell carcinoma were three most common parotid malignancies. Among 33 submandibular gland tumors, 20 cases were benign and 13 were malignant. There were one benign and one malignant sublingual gland tumors. The duration of symptom of submandibular gland tumors was longer than that of parotid tumors. Most patients presented with asymptomatic mass. Seventy-one percent of salivary gland malignancies underwent postoperative radiation therapy. Five-year disease free survival rate of parotid malignant tumors seemed to be higher than that of submandibular one, although there was no statistical significance. Conclusion : Malignancy rate of each salivary gland followed old axiom that it is inversely related with the size of gland. Submandibular gland tumor tends to be delayed to reach diagnosis. Clinicians must be alert about this finding because submandibular gland tumors are known to have poorer prognosis than parotid tumors.