Objective: The aim of this study was to document the clinicopathologic characteristic of salivary gland tumors in Tehran, Iran, over a 15-year period.

Material and Method: A retrospective study was conducted on salivary gland tumors diagnosed at two pathology centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences from March 2000 to March 2015. Patient age, sex, tumor site and frequency, as well as clinical and radiographic features and histopathologic diagnosis constituted the main analysis outcome measures.

Results: Of the 45429 biopsies conducted over 15 years, 6065 (13.3%) cases were oral and maxillofacial lesions and 937 (15.4%) of these had tumoral diagnoses. Of the 937 tumoral cases, 184 (19.6%) were salivary gland tumors and among 184 cases, 65 (35.3%) were benign and 119 (64.7%) were malignant. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most frequently occurring tumor, comprising 32.6% of all tumors, followed by mucoepidermoid carcinoma (27.1%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (22.2%). Tumors were frequently reported in minor salivary glands (75%), particularly in the palate with 89 (48.4%) cases. The peak ages of incidence were the fourth and sixth decades of life. Malignant salivary gland tumors showed a predilection for females (72.9%), which was statistically significant (P<0.01).

Conclusion: The data presented herein are similar to previously published reports in other countries and other areas of Iran. However, some differences were observed in our study, such as higher overall frequency, a lower mean age of patients with malignant tumors, and the particular sites of involvement. These differences can be attributed to racial factors, the pathology centers of sample collection, and the duration of the studies.