To date the British Salivary Gland Tumour Panel has accumulated 2569 salivary gland tumours. Of these, 2410 were primary epithelial salivary gland tumours and these formed the basis of the present study. The diagnosis of individual tumours was based on the World Health Organisation classification. Tumours were analysed according to histological type, site, age and sex. The principal site was the parotid and the combined minor (oropharyngeal) glands formed the second largest group. Pleomorphic adenomas formed the largest group of tumours in most sites, but were particularly common in the parotid. The frequency of malignant tumours increased with age after the third decade and was maximal in the eighth decade. Malignant tumours were more common in the submandibular and the minor glands than in the parotid. In the sublingual gland six out of seven tumours were malignant.

There arc 2410 primary epithelial salivary gland tumours in the files of the British Salivary Gland Tumour Panel. Of these tumours, 336 (14%) involved the minor (oropharyngeal) salivary glands, and these were studied m the present investigation Individual tumours were diagnosed according to the W H O Classification The percentage of malignant or potentially malignant tumours (46%) was much higher than in major glands (18%), and in some of the less common intraoral sites all the tumours were malignant. The principal sites were the palate (54%), lips (21%) and buccal mucosa (11%), and, in these sites, pleomorphic adenoma was the most common tumour Monomorphic adenomas accounted for 6% of palatal tumours, hut 30% of lip salivary gland tumours. The most common malignant tumour was the adenoid cystic carcinoma The results arc compared with several other large surveys and with tumours of major salivary glands.

Primary lymphomas arising in salivary glands are very uncommon. The histologic classification of 40 cases of lymphomas in salivary gland tissue submitted to the British Salivary Gland Tumour Panel is reported, and, for 30 of the patients for whom adequate information was available, the clinical presentation, management, and outcome have been analyzed. Lymphomas in salivary glands represented 1.7% of all reported salivary neoplasms. The majority developed in the parotid glands of patients aged between 50 and 70 years. Only four cases gave a premorbid history compatible with sicca syndrome. In this series, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas predominated; 23 were Grade I, and 13 were Grade II. Treatment regimens were not uniform, but are outlined. Survival ranged from 5 to 111 months. Median survival for the group was 49 months. Prognosis was not influenced by the clinical stage of disease at presentation. Four cases of lymphoma arising in benign lymphoepithelial lesions are included. None had clinical symptoms of sicca complex. Prognosis for this group was found to be as favorable as the others.

Twelve cases of chronic hyperplastic candidiasis of the oral mucosa are described.Clinically the lesions could not be reliably differentiated from "leukoplakia " due to other causes. All but 2 of the patients were otherwise healthy.The histological appearances were distinctive: there was invasion by hyphae of C. albicans of the superficial epithelium of an acanthotic and parakeratotic plaque, associated with a characteristic intraepithelial inflammatory reaction.In 9 cases the antibody titres to C. albicans in serum and saliva supported a diagnosis of candidiasis.The response of the lesions to oral Nystatin was good in 3 cases and incomplete in 4.The evidence that C. albicans plays an essential causative rather than a secondary role is critically discussed.Recognition of chronic hyperplastic candidiasis from other " leukoplakias " is of practical importance since this condition is potentially reversible by medical treatment.