Different diseases affecting the salivary glands affect the efficiency and
normal function of the glands. The diseases range from infections, inflammation,
obstruction, functional disorders, and neoplasms. Although in the general
population, the prevalence of salivary gland neoplasms is relatively low in
relation to other salivary gland diseases, they do constitute a significant
proportion of oral tumors after squamous cell carcinoma.1 A study from Nigeria
reports salivary gland neoplasms as 2.8% of all head and neck tumors.2 In Kenya
they are among the most common oral tumors.3 While in Uganda, they ranked next
to sarcomas, adamantinomas (ameloblastoma), and carcinomas.4 Despite the fact
that globally benign salivary gland tumors predominate over malignant ones5-10,
there is a variation in the prevalence of the specific salivary gland neoplasms
from study to study worldwide. In the state of Oklahoma in the USA5,
Jamaica6, and Japan11, muco-epidermoid carcinoma is the most prevalent malignant
neoplasm, while in Britain12 adenoid cystic carcinoma predominates. In
South Africa10 polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma predominates. The
most afflicted sites by these tumors also vary from study to study. For
example, pleomorphic adenoma is the most common tumor in the parotid gland. Seventy
five percent of these tumors are present in the parotid gland as compared to
39.8% in the palate.13 The situation in Uganda is not yet clearly known since
we could only find one article4 on this subject. Sing et al. reports
of a palatal location but the findings are about tumors of the jaws which may
have included pleomorphic adenoma of the minor salivary glands of the palate.
The sex distribution of these neoplasms is also reported differently by different
authors. A report from Brazil7 reports a slight female preponderance
of minor salivary gland neoplasms, while the Jordanian study reports a slight
male preponderance.8 Cawson1 reports salivary gland carcinoma preponderance
for females, and Aritoba14 reports several sex preponderancies of different
salivary gland neoplasms in relation to their location. The age distribution
of patients with salivary neoplasms differ.10,14,15,16
The purpose of this study was to establish the different biopsed and histopathologically
confirmed salivary gland neoplasms seen at the Department of Oral Surgery Mulago
Hospital, their age, sex distribution, and site for a period between January
1988 to December 2000.
Different diseases affecting the salivary glands affect the efficiency and
normal function of the glands. The diseases range from infections, inflammation,
obstruction, functional disorders, and neoplasms. Although in the general
population, the prevalence of salivary gland neoplasms is relatively low in
relation to other salivary gland diseases, they do constitute a significant
proportion of oral tumors after squamous cell carcinoma.1 A study from Nigeria
reports salivary gland neoplasms as 2.8% of all head and neck tumors.2 In Kenya
they are among the most common oral tumors.3 While in Uganda, they ranked next
to sarcomas, adamantinomas (ameloblastoma), and carcinomas.4 Despite the fact
that globally benign salivary gland tumors predominate over malignant ones5-10,
there is a variation in the prevalence of the specific salivary gland neoplasms
from study to study worldwide. In the state of Oklahoma in the USA5,
Jamaica6, and Japan11, muco-epidermoid carcinoma is the most prevalent malignant
neoplasm, while in Britain12 adenoid cystic carcinoma predominates. In
South Africa10 polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma predominates. The
most afflicted sites by these tumors also vary from study to study. For
example, pleomorphic adenoma is the most common tumor in the parotid gland. Seventy
five percent of these tumors are present in the parotid gland as compared to
39.8% in the palate.13 The situation in Uganda is not yet clearly known since
we could only find one article4 on this subject. Sing et al. reports
of a palatal location but the findings are about tumors of the jaws which may
have included pleomorphic adenoma of the minor salivary glands of the palate. 
