An Analysis of 50 Cases of Salivary Gland Neoplasms: A Single-Institution Experience

Aim Salivary gland neoplasms represent a rare subset of head and neck neoplasms. Due to their varied histological and biological behaviours, they pose a challenge for both surgeons and histopathologists. The study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with salivary gland neoplasms at our centre, assess their anatomical distribution and histopathological patterns, and evaluate the concordance of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with histopathology. The study also documented surgical management approaches, short-term postoperative outcomes, including procedure-specific complications, and the use of adjuvant therapy. Materials and methods A prospective descriptive study was conducted at a single institution for 18 months on 50 consecutive patients diagnosed with primary salivary gland neoplasms. Data were collected by documenting clinical history and performing physical examinations and investigations. After surgery, depending on the histopathological examination reports, radiotherapy was considered. Patients were monitored for three months after surgery. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Group differences were examined using the chi-square test, with significance set at p<0.05. Results In our study of 50 neoplasms, 38 were classified as benign and 12 as malignant. The 5th decade observed the highest incidence of benign neoplasms, while most reports of malignant neoplasms came from the 4th to 6th decades. In the present cohort, a female preponderance was observed in pleomorphic adenoma, whereas mucoepidermoid carcinoma showed male predominance. FNAC and histopathology agreed in 43 cases, giving an overall diagnostic accuracy of 86.0% and Cohen's k of ≈0.55 (moderate agreement). In a benign-malignant comparison, FNAC had 100% sensitivity for benign lesions but low specificity (41.7%), indicating reliable detection of benign neoplasms but limited ability to exclude malignancy. Surgery was the main treatment modality in all cases, whereas adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy) was administered in 24% of cases (n=12). Conclusion The majority of salivary gland neoplasms were benign. Benign neoplasms tended to be more common in females, whereas malignant neoplasms were predominantly observed among males. Pleomorphic adenoma was most prevalent in the parotid gland, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma was most frequently diagnosed in the submandibular gland.