Tumors of salivary glands. Review of 479 cases with particular reference to histological types, site, age and sex distribution.

479 cases of tumors of salivary glands were examined at the Institute of Surgical Pathology of the University of Padua during the years 1973-1986; all these were reviewed. The diagnosis of individual tumors was based on the World Health Organization classification. Tumors were analyzed considering the histological type, sex, age and site. Primary tumors of epithelial origin were 91.8%. The principal site was the parotid (78.1%) while the submandibular gland forms the second largest group (14.57%). The malignant forms increase with age and were more common in submandibular and sublingual glands than the parotid. Connective tissue tumors were rare; 50% were hemangiomas that occur in children and young people; the only malignant neoplasias of soft tissue were 2 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma.