Salivary gland: neoplasia

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Sections available in full article Introduction, Presenting signs, Age predisposition, Breed predisposition, Pathogenesis, Timecourse (incubation, duration), Diagnosis, Presenting problems, Client history, Clinical signs, Diagnostic investigation, Histopathology findings, Differential diagnosis, Treatment, Standard treatment, Sequelae, Prognosis, Sources, Publications, Vetstream contributor(s),
Contributors Dr Irene Rochlitz BVSc MSc PhD
Dr Rosa Ragni DVM DipSPCA MRCVS

Introduction

  • Unusual - adenocarcinoma most common type (malignant are more common than benign tumors).
  • Signs :
    Either Firm discrete enlargement of one of major salivary glands (most commonly parotid), occasionally with associated mucocele.
    Or Diffuse thickened infiltration of oral mucosa developing from one of the minor glands.
  • Treatment : surgical resection if possible.
  • Prognosis : guarded; risk of metastasis and local recurrence. In addition, adjacent neurovascular structures may be damaged.

Diagnosis

Clinical signs

  • Firm discrete enlargement of major salivary gland/diffuse thickened infiltration of oral mucosa developing from minor gland.
  • Dysphagia.
  • Anorexia.
  • Salivation.
  • Secondary oral infections.
  • Oral ulceration.
  • Dyspnea.
  • Occasionally associated mucocele  Salivary mucocoele  .

Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis

  • Salivary mucocoele  Salivary mucocoele  .
  • Salivary necrosis.
  • Sialolith  Salivary gland: sialoliths  .
  • Abscess  Abscess  .
  • Lymphosarcoma  Lymphoma  .
  • Other facial/cervical neoplasia.

Sequelae

Prognosis

  • Guarded: surgical resection difficult with minor glands; local infiltration difficult to manage; metastasis possible.
  • Recurrence or metastasis common following surgery.

Sources

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Recent references fromPubMed.
  • Mazzullo Get al(2005)Carcinoma of the submandibular salivary glands with multiple metastases in a cat.Vet Clin Pathol34, 61-64PubMed.
  • Hammer Aet al(2001)Salivary gland neoplasia in the dog and cat: survival times and prognostic factors.J Am Anim Hosp Assoc.37(5), 478-482.
  • Burek K Aet al(1994)Metastatic adenocarcinoma od a minor salivary gland in a cat.Zentralbl Veterinarmed A41(6), 485-490.
  • Spangler W Let al(1991)Salivary gland disease in dogs and cats - 245 cases (1985-1988).JAVMA198(3), 465-469.
  • Brown N O (1989)Salivary gland diseases. Diagnosis, treatment, and associated problems.Probl Vet Med1(2), 281-294.

Other sources of information

  • Dunning D (2003)Oral cavity: tongue, lips, cheeks, pharynx, and salivary glands.In:Textbook of Small Animal Surgery. 3rd edn. Slatter D (ed), W B Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 553-561.
  • Hedlund C S (2002)Surgery of the oral cavity and oropharynx.In:Small Animal Surgery. 2nd edn, T W Fossum (ed), Mosby, St. Louis, pp 274-307.
  • Knecht C D (1998)Salivary glands.In:Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery. 4th edn, Bojrab M J (ed), Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, pp183-186.

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