Cytopathologic Patterns of Salivary Gland Mass in Jimma University Medical Centre, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia: A 3 Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background:Salivary gland tumors are a morphologically and clinically diverse group of neoplasms, which may present significant diagnostic and management challenges. Malignant salivary gland neoplasms account for more than 0.5% of all malignancies and approximately 3- 5% of all head and neck cancers. Despite its occurrence and posing diagnostic challenges cytopathologic patterns of salivary gland mass is not studied adequately in Ethiopia.Objective: To identify cytopathologic patterns of salivary gland mass on fine needle aspiration cytologyin JimmaUniversity Medical Center from September 2015 to August 2018.Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design wasapplied to records of patients seen at JUMC pathology department with salivary gland masses from September 2015 to August 2018.Data was collected using structured check lists manually by cytopathology technicians working in the department. Data was entered into Epi data v.3.1., cleared and exported to SPSS V.20 for analysis.Result : There were 191 cases of salivary gland mass. The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 80 years with an average age of 33.5 years. Ninety nine (51.8%) patients were males and 92(48.2%) were females with male to female ratio of 1.1:1.The cytological diagnoses included malignancy 39(20.4%), suspicious 5(2.6%), benign neoplastic 68(35.6%), nonneoplastic 77(40.3%) cases and 2(1%) were non diagnostic. Chronic sialadenitis found in 37(48.1%) case is the most common non neoplastic cases. Among the 68 benign neoplasms, pleomorphic adenoma was the most common lesion (54out of 68 cases; 79.4%) followed by Warthin’s tumor (6 cases; 8.8%). Among the malignant neoplasm mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most common (18 out of 39 cases;46.2%) followed by acinic cell carcinoma(10 out of 39 cases;25.6%). The parotid gland was the most commonly involved salivary gland 87cases(45.5%) followed by the submandibular gland 79 cases(41.4%) . Conclusion:The most common neoplasm of salivary gland is the benign tumors, mainly the pleomorphic adenoma and the majority of them in the parotid gland in young adults. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor predominantly seen in parotid.Submandibular gland is the most common site for non neoplastic salivary gland