The surgical management of a leiomyosarcoma of the submandibular gland in a 95-year-old patient

Abstract

Primary sarcomas of the major salivary glands are rare and appear to originate from undifferentiated pluripotential mesenchymal cells. They must be distinguished from malignant supporting tissue neoplasms that secondarily involve the glands by direct extension or metastasis. Multidisciplinary management of head and neck soft tissue sarcomas is still controversial. We report a case of leiomyosarcoma of the submandibular gland in a 95-year-old man who was treated with excision of the right submandibular gland, extended to the surrounding tissues, without neck dissection. The patient tolerated the treatment well. Twenty-four months after surgery, the patient was doing well without any evidence of locoregional or distant disease. Surgery is the cornerstone of the management of leiomyosarcomas of the salivary glands. Wide surgical excision with histologically proven tumor-free margins was an appropriate treatment that may guarantee prolonged survival.