Recurrence of pleomorphic adenoma of the palate after sixteen years: case report and an analysis of the literature.

Pleomorphic adenoma or mixed tumour (MT) is a benign neoplasia of slow growth and epithelial histogenesis. We report a particular case of recurring MT of the hard palate. A 39-year-old man came to us with a swelling of the hard half-palate. The patient, 19 years earlier, had had a small formation in the same place that, over a period of three years had slowly grown. Histology showed that it was an MT and it was promptly removed. Sixteen years after the operation, a small recurrence reappeared, reaching a diameter of 12 mm. The patient underwent a new excision. The case reported is of particular interest due to many aspects: the outbreak from the minor salivary glands; the male sex; the young age of the patient at the first sign of the tumour; the appearance of a recurrence after 16 years, not contemplated in literature; and finally, the rapid growth of the second appearance.