SYNCHRONOUS ORAL SALIVARY GLAND TUMORS: REPORT OF THREE NEW CASES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Multiple synchronous or metachronous salivary gland tumors, benign or malignant, are rare yet more likely to occur in the major salivary glands compared to involvement of the minor salivary glands. In this poster we present three new cases of synchronous oral salivary gland tumors in minor salivary glands and review the previously reported cases. All three patients were female. Two of the patients aged 55 and 85, presented with submucosal nodules of the upper lip and left buccal mucosa, respectively. Histopathologically, both cases exhibited two separate encapsulated tumors identified as pleomorphic adenoma and canalicular adenoma presenting as a single nodule in the first case, but as two separated nodules in the second. The third patient was a 46-year old who presented with a grayish-blue, non-ulcerated, and painful nodule on the left soft palate. Histopathologic examination showed a nodule composed of two adjacent, yet separate tumors diagnosed as polymorphous adenocarcinoma demonstrating significant perineural invasion, and low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Conclusion Intraoral multiple synchronous salivary gland tumors are rare and unusual, with only a few cases reported in the literature. The diagnosis of such tumors would be significant from treatment, management, and prognostic standpoints. Cytogenetic studies might be useful in further clarification of these entities.