ABSTRACT
The current literature suggests that salivary gland tumours account for 3 to 10% of head and neck neoplasms. Of these 75 to 85% are parotid in origin. Then, of these 70 to 80% are benign, with the most common benign tumours being pleomorphic adenomas. In the early 20th century, surgical enucleation was the mainstay of treatment for all parotid gland tumours. However, this led to high recurrence rates—up to 45% in benign tumours and 90% in high-grade malignant tumours. Adequacy was defined as the presence of a “cuff of normal parotid tissue surrounding the tumour margins.” Further distinction is made between inadequate margins and close margins, which are defined as a 1 to 2 mm margin or a “thin rim of fibrous tissue only.” All patients underwent lateral lobectomy or total parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation by “currently accepted surgical techniques for parotid tumour management.”.
