Four Cases of Palate Pleomorphic Adenoma Resection using Surgical Plane of Palatine Aponeurosis

Abstract

Pleomorphic adenoma is one of the most common benign neoplasm of salivary glands and resection with enough normal tissue margin is important treatment for preventing the local recurrence. For palate tumor involving both soft palate and hard palate, palatal fistula is easier to occur as post-operative complication after resection of the tumor. The palatine aponeurosis is important anatomical barrier between soft palate and nasal cavity, and we found that by using palatine aponeurosis as surgical plane, we can do R0 resection of the tumor with preventing the palatal fistula complication. Also, we used inguinal full thickness skin graft to protect the exposed palatine aponeurosis in some cases. We analyzed 4 cases of palate pleomorphic adenoma resection using palatine aponeurosis as surgical plane and those operations were done by single surgeon. All of 4 patients had no palatal fistula and also had no recurrence of the tumor during the post-operative course.