A huge pleomorphic adenoma of the submandibular salivary gland

The most common tumour of salivary gland is pleomorphic adenoma (PA). They are benign, painless, can grow into big tumours but usually do not affect nerves or lymph nodes. PA most commonly occurs in the parotid gland but it may involve submandibular, lingual and minor salivary glands also. They can attain giant proportions and weigh several kilograms. We report a giant PA arising in the submandibular gland and treated by complete surgical excision without any complication. A female patient presented with a tumour in the submandibular region and front of neck with a history of more than 18 years. The weight of the resected mass was 4.35 kg. Patient's fear of surgery and lack of awareness were the main reasons for her long-standing swelling. Such giant PAs of the submandibular gland are very rare in medical literature.

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