Background Minor salivary gland carcinomas are uncommon tumors of the oral cavity. The decision regarding treatment remains controversial. The main objective of this paper is to report on the survival results of 128 patients treated in a single institution. Methods Tumor sites were: hard palate (62 cases), tongue (16 cases), buccal mucosa (13 cases), soft palate (12 cases), and other sites (25 cases). The most common histology was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (76 cases). Clinically metastatic lymph nodes were palpable in 21 patients. Cox regression technique was used to construct the mathematical‐statistical models, aiming to predict the risks of recurrence and of death as functions of the different variables under study. Results The 5‐year overall survival rates were, respectively, 85.9% and 87.7% in the groups of patients treated by surgery or combined therapy. There were significant differences in survival rates according to N stage, bone involvement, tumor histology, sex, and type of surgery. Conclusions Most of the recurrences were at the site of primary tumor; neck metastases were rare at presentation and after initial treatment. Prognosis involves several factors related to stage, histology, and treatment. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 20: 699–706, 1998.

RESUMOO diagnóstico laboratorial de hiperparatiroidismo primário baseia-se no encontro de hipercalcemia na presença de níveis séricos elevados ou inapropriadamente normais de paratormônio (PTH). Uma vez confirmado o diagnóstico laboratorial, paratiroidectomia pode ou não ser indicada, na dependência de critérios clínicos e laboratoriais. Quando a cirurgia é indicada, diversos exames localizatórios de imagem cervicais (ultra-sonografia, tomografia, ressonância magnética, cintilografia) podem ser solicitados com o objetivo de auxiliar o cirurgião, indicando qual a localização de uma ou mais glândulas paratiróides aumentadas. Entretanto, tais exames apresentam sensibilidades variadas, na dependência quase sempre direta dos níveis séricos de PTH. Além disso, a coexistência de nódulos tiroideanos pode levar a resultados falso-positivos. Neste artigo, descrevemos três pacientes portadoras de hiperparatiroidismo primário com localização do nódulo cervical suspeito no pré-operatório. A natureza paratiroideana destes nódulos foi confirmada através da dosagem de PTH no material aspirado da punção dos respectivos nódu -los cervicais. High or inappropriately normal parathormone (PTH) levels in the presence of hypercalcemia are very suggestive of primary hyperparathyroidism. Once the biochemical diagnosis is confirmed, surgery may be indicated according to specific guidelines. When this is the case, several preoperative localization studies may be performed, such as ultrasonography, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance and parathyroid scintigraphy. These exams may be ordered in an attempt to help the surgeon by pointing out the precise localization of one or more enlarged parathyroid glands. However, these exams have variable sensitivities, which usually correlate with serum levels of PTH. Moreover, the coexistence of thyroid nodules may lead to false-positive observations. We herein describe three patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, whose parathyroid nature of preoperative suspicious localized cervical nodules were confirmed by PTH measurement in needle aspirates of these nodules. (Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab 2002;46/6:704-707 )