ABSTRACT
To determine the relative frequency and distribution of various types of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumours and their treatment modalities. Retrospective descriptive study. Muhimbili National Hospital [MNH], TANZANIA; at the department of Oral Surgery and Oral pathology. From 1993 to 2008. [16 years]. Hospital based data The information was retrieved from files and included; age, gender as well as their location, histological types and treatment modalities. Microscopic slides of all cases were reviewed and where necessary paraffin sections were re-cut and subsequently stained by haematoxylin and eosin. Special stained such as Periodic acid Schiff and/or mucicarmine were also performed in controversial cases. Tumours were classified according to the World Health Organization's Histological Typing of salivary gland tumours. Data were entered in the computer and analysed by SPSS. Statistical analysis was performed by student's t-test, and the difference were considered at 0.05 significance level. A total of 33 cases of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumours were studied. Out of these, 13 cases were benign and 20 were malignant. The male to female ratio for both benign and malignant tumours was 1:1.7. The age range for those with benign tumours was 16-78 years while for malignant ones was 17-76 years. Females were more affected than males in both benign and malignant neoplasms. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean age of occurrence of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumours in female compared to males [P=0.003]. With regard to the location of minor salivary gland tumours, the palate was the most affected site [51.5%]. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most frequent tumour located on the palate [52.9%] Similarly, the majority of malignant tumours were located on the palate [38%] followed by the Cheek [23.8%] and included adenocarcinoma, adenoidcystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Most malignant tumours were treated by adjuvant radiation therapy. Pleomorphic adenoma located on the palate was treated by excision with 1cm clinical margins at its periphery and including the overlying epithelium and periosteum. However, pleomorphic adenoma located on other mucosa sites was treated by peripheral excision with 1cm margin. With regard to monomorphic adenoma, conservative surgical excision including a rim or margin of normal uninvolved tissue was done. Palate was the common site for intraoral minor salivary gland tumours and that the percentage of the palatal cases were higher in benign than in malignant tumours. The mean age of occurrence of minor intraoral salivary gland tumours was higher in female patients than that of male patients