Abstract
Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment experience of salivary pleomorphic adenoma in children. Methods:Thirty patients with salivary pleomorphic adenomas treated in Beijing Childrens Hospital from January 2008 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, including 11 boys and 19 girls, with the age ranging from 0.3 to 14.4 years(median age 10.4 years). Initial presentation, medical history, imaging workups, surgical approaches, complications, rates of recurrence were evaluated. Results:Major salivary gland lesions were most common(n=24, 80%); 53.3%(16 of 30) arising in the submandibular glands and 26.7%(8 of 30) in the parotid. Minor salivary gland lesions(n=6, 20%) were removed from the palate, tongue, face, trachea, nasopharynx, and upper mediastinumand. Preoperative imaging was reviewed in all patients and consisted of 26 ultrasound exams, 2 computerized tomography(CT) exams, and 15 magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) exams. Fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed in 12 patients. Surgical excision was performed in all patients. Postoperative complications included transient facial paresis(n=3), Pneumonia and pleural effusion(n=1). Average length of follow-up was 36.7 months; confirmed recurrence occurred in one patients. Conclusion:The symptoms of salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma in children are different according to the location of the tumor. The treatment is complete surgical resection, and a small amount of normal tissue around the tumor should be removed to reduce recurrence.