Paediatric salivary gland pathology

This review presents the authors' 17-year experience with 213 paediatric salivary gland specimens from Children's Hospital surgical pathology service. Of 173 non-tumours, 143 were cysts (137 mucocoeles), 26 were inflammatory lesions, 40 were tumours, with 4 miscellaneous lesions. Of the 36 benign tumours, the most frequent were 17 pleomorphic adenomas and 12 lymphangiomas. Of the four malignant tumours, only one was epithelial in origin, acinic cell carcinoma, with one neuroblastoma, lymphoma, and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Literature review supports that most diseases of adult salivary glands can occur in the paediatric age range.