Mucoepidermoid tumors of the salivary glands. Correlation of cytophotometrical data and prognosis.

The mucoepidermoid tumors of the Salivary Gland Registry, Institute of Pathology, University of Hamburg, Western Germany, were evaluated retrospectively with regard to epidemiologic data, clinical follow-up, and cytophotometric data. Clinical data were obtained in 71 cases. Tissue from 46 cases was studied by single cell scanning cytophotometric analysis. Two thirds of the tumors were located in the major salivary glands, the parotid being the most common site, one third occurred in the minor salivary glands. The age range was from 6 to 81 years; peaks were observed in the fourth and seventh decades; the sex distribution was almost equal. By means of a single cell scanning cytophotometric device, a division into "diploid" and "atypical" patterns was possible. The clinical course was well correlated with these two groups, the atypical group showing generally an unfavorable course. Especially in poorly differentiated tumors, selection of clinically aggressive tumors was possible by their atypical DNA distribution pattern. Consequently, single cell DNA assessment can be a useful supplementary tool in the clinicopathologic and prognostic evaluation of mucoepidermoid tumors of the salivary glands.