Treatment of parotid gland tumors in Latvian Oncological Center.

A total of 268 patients were treated for parotid gland lesions at department of Head and Neck Surgery of Latvian Oncological Center between 1996 and 2000, and the results were analyzed retrospectively. The objective was to analyze the incidence and factors associated with facial nerve dysfunction after different types of parotidectomies with facial nerve dissection and to compare the changing attitudes towards the pathology and surgical treatment in order to better define prevention and management of pleomorphic adenoma recurrences. Limited superficial parotidectomy was the commonest operation performed in 143 patients. Other procedures were complete superficial parotidectomy in 11%, total radical surgery in 10 patients and enucleation in 20 patients. Neck node dissection was done in 9 patients. In 4 patients (6%) paresis was observed after limited superficial parotidectomy, in 10 patients (16%) after complete superficial parotidectomy, in 18 cases (28%) after near - total (subtotal) parotidectomy and in 32 patients (50%) after total parotidectomy. Recurences after the surgical treatment of benign diseases were observed in 12 patients (5.2%). Overall 5-year survival for all stages and histologic types was 58 %.