Pattern of parotid gland tumors on Crete, Greece: a retrospective study of 131 cases.

Background: Salivary gland tumors constitute a highly heterogeneous group. There are few large epidemiological studies of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors in Greece. The aim of the present study was to define the pattern of parotid gland neoplasms on the island of Crete.

Material/methods: The medical records of 131 patients who underwent parotidectomy in the Otorhinolaryngology department of the University hospital of Heraklion over the last ten years were retrospectively reviewed. Gender and age of the patients, size, location, and histology of the tumors, as well as postoperative complications were analyzed and tabulated.

Results: There were 101 (77.1%) benign parotid gland tumors and 30 (22.9%) of malignant ones. The most common benign tumor was pleomorphic adenoma (44.2%), while the most common malignant tumor was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (5.3%). The female-to-male ratio was 1.18/1.00. Median age was 48.2 years (range: 16-75 years) in patients with benign tumors and 65.4 years (range: 27-90 years) in patients with malignancy. After superficial parotidectomy, the most common postoperative complication was Frey syndrome (8.1%), while after total parotidectomy the most frequent complication was transient facial nerve palsy (45.5%).

Conclusions: On Crete, parotid gland tumors show epidemiological characteristics similar to studies worldwide. Benign parotid tumors are largely more frequent than malignant tumors. The most common benign parotid gland tumor was pleomorphic adenoma, while the most frequent malignant tumor was mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Future research needs to be done to better define the epidemiology of these tumors among the Greek population.