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Pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands: retrospective multicentric study of 130 cases with emphasis on histopathological features

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Abstract

Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most frequent benign epithelial lesion of salivary gland origin, showing great histopathological diversity. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis, with emphasis on histopathologic features of PA of salivary glands. Clinical and histopathologic characteristics of 130 cases of minor and major salivary glands PAs from three Brazilian reference centers were studied. Higher frequency of PAs was observed in female (55.4 %) subjects, with mean age of 49.7 years. The most common affected site was palate (64.5 %) for the PAs of minor salivary glands and parotid for cases affecting major glands (86.2 %). Microscopically, most cases were classified as classic PAs (50 %). Incomplete capsule was observed in 36.2 % of the cases, while 47.2 % showed capsular infiltration. Rounded (66.9 %), angular (49.2 %), oval (46.2 %) and plasmacytoid (39.2 %) cells were widely observed, as well as fibrous (73.8 %) and myxoid (69.2 %) stroma, squamous metaplasia (25.4 %) and cystic degeneration (43.1 %). Crystalloids (3.1 %), increased mitotic activity (5.4 %) and vascular invasion (2.3 %) were rarely observed. PAs arising in minor salivary glands were associated with incomplete capsules, spindle, oval, angular, plasmacytoid and pleomorphic cells, fibrous and hyaline stroma, cystic degeneration, squamous metaplasia and pleomorphism (p < 0.05). No association between capsular features and histological subtype was noted (p ≥ 0.05). These results confirm the findings of previous studies regarding major clinicopathological features of pleomorphic adenomas; and highlighted some important morphologic characteristics like the capsule, vascular invasion, pleomorphism and increased mitotic activity, which can reflect the biological behavior of these tumors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Oral Pathology, Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, 1787, Lagoa Nova, CEP 59056-000, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Maria Luiza Diniz de Sousa Lopes & Lélia Batista de Souza

  2. School of Dentistry, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil

    Keila Martha Amorim Barroso

  3. Laboratory of Oral Surgical Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Águida Cristina Gomes Henriques & Jean Nunes dos Santos

  4. Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Manoela Domingues Martins

Authors
  1. Maria Luiza Diniz de Sousa Lopes
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  2. Keila Martha Amorim Barroso
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  3. Águida Cristina Gomes Henriques
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  6. Lélia Batista de Souza
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Correspondence to Lélia Batista de Souza.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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This study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Research Ethics Committee of Dr. Luiz Antônio Hospital and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

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Lopes, M.L.D.d., Barroso, K.M.A., Henriques, Á.C.G. et al. Pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands: retrospective multicentric study of 130 cases with emphasis on histopathological features. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 274, 543–551 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4253-5

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