The incidence of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland in relation to the choice of surgical procedure.

AIM To investigate an incidence of recurrence of pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland in relation to the choice of surgical procedure. METHODS All patients with a diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma of parotid gland who underwent surgery at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery (MFS) of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (CCU), Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period 01 January 1992 - 31 December 2010 were included in the study. The incidence of recurrence and complications in relation to the choice of surgical procedure (enucleation, excision of the tumor, superficial parotidectomy and total parotidectomy) as well as the choice of diagnostic procedures were compared. For all variables measured the arithmetic mean (x), standard deviation (SD), the correlation coefficient (r), and χ 2 test were used. RESULTS A total of 81 operations were performed on 60 patients. The highest recurrence rate was after enucleation (88.9%), then after excision (46.9%), and the least after superficial (4%) and total parotidectomy (0%). The highest number of complications was noted after the surgery of recurrence (8.3%), because it was difficult to preserve facial nerve in the previously treated area. CONCLUSION Both total or superficial parotidectomy were optimal surgical procedures which, if applied at the first surgery of pleomorphic adenoma, provided almost 100% certainty of healing. All subsequent surgeries carry a higher risk of complications, e.g. severe lesion of facial nerve.