Tumors of the salivary glands are complex neoplasms with a number of heterogenous lesions with different biological behavior. Generally women are more often affected than men. About 80per cent of all salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity are benign, whereas malignancy predominantly occurs in the minor salivary glands. Of all the oral glands, the glandula parotis is with 80per cent the most frequent tumor. Clinically, it shows a slowly growing swelling which is able to be palpated well. Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common tumor of all salivary glands, followed by the Papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum (Warhin tumor) and the basal cell adenoma.
Surgical removal is normally the treatment of choice.
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