Clinical characteristics of pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands among Jordanian patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the incidence of salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma in Jordanian patients. METHODS The retrospective study involved histopathological reports of 62 patients diagnosed to have pleomorphic adenoma from salivary glands between 2000 and 2008 at King Hussein Medical Centre and the peripheral military hospitals of the Royal Medical Services, Jordan. The files were evaluated. Special attention was given to the distribution of the tumour to major and minor categories. Age, gender and treatment pattern were also noted. Quantitative and categorical variables were worked out for statistical analysis. RESULTS Out of the 62 cases, 32 (51.6%) occurred in men, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.06:1. The mean age was 40.4 +/- 12 years (range: 8 to 80 years) with peak incidence in the 4th decade of life. The primary tumours were predominantly located in the parotid gland (n=40; 64%), followed by pleomorphic adenoma of the minor salivary glands (n=11; 17%), the submandibular gland (n=10; 16.12%) and the sublingual gland (n=1; 1.6%). Painless swelling was the first finding in 49 (79%), followed by pressure sensation in 10 (16%) and pain in 3 (5%) patients. CONCLUSION Pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands had similar characteristics with patients of most previously published research studies in other countries except that there was no significant difference regarding gender distribution in Jordanian patients.