Salivary gland surgery in Germany ‘more common than expected’

By Nikki Withers, medwireNews Reporter

Results from a German population-based study suggest that the incidence of surgically treated benign salivary gland diseases is higher than previously thought.

The researchers also found that the surgery is performed effectively and with low risk.

Writing in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, the investigators explain that although salivary gland surgery for benign diseases is an integral part of clinical routine for head and neck surgeons, there are not many population-based studies published on incidence and efficiency of this surgery.

Furthermore, most of the literature consists of hospital-based data, which the researchers say may be biased by the fact that only surgical cases are included.

Orlando Guntinas-Lichius (Jena University Hospital) and team therefore retrospectively analyzed data from all patients who were treated for a parotid or submandibular gland mass in the German state of Thuringia in 2005.

Overall, parotidectomy was performed in 180 patients and submandibulectomy in 97 patients. This equated to a surgical rate of 7.8 and 4.1 per 100,000 habitants, respectively.

A total of 178 benign tumors were reported, including 154 epithelial tumors, equating to an incidence of 7.6 and 6.6 per 100,000 habitants, respectively. This, say the researchers, is higher than the incidence rate given by hospital-based data.

The majority (79%) of parotid cases were treated by lateral parotidectomy while all submandibular cases received standard submandibulectomy.

The mean follow-up period was 14.2 months (14.6 months for benign tumors) after parotid surgery and 0.2 months (5.3 months for benign tumors) after submandibular surgery. Relevant complications were only observed in 22% of cases, the most common being facial nerve palsy (13%).

Guntinas-Lichius and team conclude that, in respect of health care research, "the data show that salivary gland surgery is performed effectively and with low-risk and on important scale in daily routine of head and neck surgeons."

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