Histopathological evaluation of parotid gland neoplasms in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Background: Parotid gland tumours are complex neoplasms with a broad histological range. The parotid gland is also a common site of face and scalp skin cancer metastases. Method: Parotidectomies performed by ENT department in the Gold Coast health district from 2006 to 2013. Results: A total of 158 specimens were examined. Of these, 53.80 per cent were benign and 46.20 per cent were malignant. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most common tumour (29.11 per cent), followed by cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (23.42 per cent) and Warthin’s tumour (12.03 per cent). Conclusion: Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma accounted for a large proportion of parotid masses in our case series, reflecting the high prevalence of non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia. Primary parotid neoplasms had similar incidence rates to other studies.