Increased incidence of Warthin tumours of the parotid gland: a 42-year evaluation

Abstract

Aim

To evaluate the frequency of Warthin tumours among parotid neoplasms over the past 42 years in a population in rural Germany and to identify potential risk factors.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective case note evaluation from all patients who underwent parotid surgery between 1975 and 2017. The 42-year time period was evenly split into four quartiles.

Results

A Warthin tumour was diagnosed in 265 out of 806 patients (32.9%). The frequency of Warthin tumour increased steadily from 20.6% in the first decade between 1975 and 1986 to 44.9% in the fourth decade between 2008 and 2017. The age of the patients decreased from 68 years in the first to 62 years in the fourth decade. The male-to-female ratio in Warthin tumour was reduced from 1:5.3 in the first to 1:2.1 in the fourth decade.

Conclusion

A Warthin tumour was the most common histological tumour type in the period from 1997 to 2017. We also found a high incidence of multiple tumours, a growing incidence in women and a decreasing age of patients. We propose a re-evaluation of the existing view of the epidemiology of benign parotid tumours, which proposes that pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign parotid tumour.

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