Salivary gland neoplasms: A 10-year review of a major referral center in Ghana

Objective. The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathologic features of salivary gland tumors (SGTs) that were managed at a major referral center in Ghana. Study Design. This was a retrospective study of all histologically diagnosed and managed Ghanaian patients with SGTs during the period January 2008 to December 2017. Information collected included age, gender, affected gland, presenting symptom, treatment modality, histologic diagnosis, and complications. Descriptive summaries of variables were generated. The chi(2) test with Fisher's test was used to compare categorical variables with subsequent testing of association. Results. The study included 116 patients, with 49 males (42.2%) and 67 females (57.8%), representing a ratio of 1:1.4. There were 82 (70.7%) benign SGTs and 34 (29.3%) malignant SGTs. The most common benign SGT was pleomorphic adenoma, which accounted for 62.1% of all SGTs. Malignant SGTs occurred more in older people, and the occurrence of SGTs was significantly at a lower age in males compared with females. Conclusions: Although the general pattern of SGTs did not seem to differ significantly in comparison with the findings of a review performed 10 years earlier, the findings of this study could inform hypotheses generation for future studies to explore the risk factors and associations peculiar to the Ghanaian environment.