Paediatric salivary gland epithelial neoplasms

Salivary gland epithelial neoplasms in children are rare. Clinicians of all disciplines need to have a high level of suspicion when a non-inflammatory single mass lesion presents in the parotid or submandibular glands. There is high likelihood of malignancy when such a mass presents. Surgery is the primary treatment of choice in the majority of cases, with the addition of adjuvant radiotherapy 8 chemotherapy when the diagnosis is a high-grade tumour and/or when the malignancy presents as a large mass or is associated with local tissue invasion. Minor salivary gland neoplasms also present, the oral cavity is most frequent, with pleomorphic adenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma being most common, other malignant neoplasms have been reported in other sites. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.