Parotidectomy in the treatment of pleomorphic adenoma - analysis of long-term results

Conclusion: Parotidectomy is an efficient surgical treatment modality for pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland, although some morbidity may occur. In this study, the median time interval between primary surgery and the presentation of the recurrent tumor was observed to be 14.4 years. Objective: Analysis of the long-term results of patients undergoing lateral or total parotidectomy as first-line treatment of parotid pleomorphic adenoma at our institution between the years 1979 and 1996. Methods: The individual patient charts of 230 patients were feasible for retrospective analysis in 2007. Results: In all, 42 patients had dysfunction of the facial nerve after the primary surgery, but only 14 of them had permanent dysfunction. A recurrent tumor occurred in nine cases (3.9%). The time interval between primary surgery and the first recurrence ranged from 7.1 to 24.5 years. Recurrent tumors were treated with surgery, two patients received additional radiotherapy.