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Are tumors of the parotid glands usually malignant?

No. Most parotid tumors or mumps are benign, but the gland often does become involved in a cancerous growth. Parotid tumors tend to recur about one in five cases even if they are benign.

How can one tell if a salivary tumor is benign or malignant?

The benign tumor grows slowly and is usually surrounded by a capsule. Many of them are freely movable beneath the skin. Malignant tumors of the salivary glands grow rapidly and become adherent to the skin and surrounding tissues. Of course, following removal, microscopic examination will result in a conclusive diagnosis. Removal of one of the salivary glands does not interfere with digestion or adequate production of saliva.

Operations upon these glands are not dangerous, but they are long and tedious to perform. Great care must be exercised to avoid injury to the nerve filaments of the facial nerve that course through the parotid gland. Injury to this nerve will result in a certain amount of facial paralysis.

General anesthesia is used for the major surgical procedures; local anesthesia for minor operations. The incision made for operations on the parotid gland is in front of the ear and down along the angle of the submaxillary glands are not disfiguring. Fine thin lines are usually obtained several months later when these wounds have healed completely.

Definitions of Medical Terms:

Parotid gland – one of two salivary glands on the other side of the face in front of each ear

Parotiditis – inflammation of a parotid gland. It is also called mumps.

Saliva - the slightly acid fluid secreted by the glands of the mouth that serves as the first digestive enzyme, ptyalin. The saliva begins the digestive process of converting starches into various dextrins and to some maltose.