Results from a nationwide survey on the treatment of salivary gland diseases in german hospitals

Introduction

Salivary gland disorders are an important part of the practice of otolaryngologists in hospitals. The treatment strategies depend, among other things, on the doctrinal opinion at the respective location. The aim of the questionnaire-based data collection was to assess the current practical implementation of the treatment of salivary gland diseases in Germany.

Methods

The survey was implemented in the form of an online questionnaire with 25 questions. For this purpose, invitation e-mails were sent to all German clinic directors and responses were requested from one qualified person per clinic/hospital.

Results

A total of 161 clinics were contacted. Of these, 98 clinics participated. The participation rate was 60.9%. The diagnosis of salivary gland tumors was dominated by sonography and MRI. Fine needle aspiration and core needle aspiration were not performed by >50% of the clinics. Parotidectomy under microscopic control is performed as the dominant surgical technique (82%). 99% of clinics use EMG during resection of the parotid gland an EMG for facialis monitoring. There is a trend toward performing partial (85%), lateral parotidectomies (70%), and extracapsular dissections (57%) for suspect of benign tumors of the parotid gland. Treatment of malignancies showed inconsistent treatment concepts.

Conclusions

In particular, strategy of treatment and extent of surgery for benign and malignant salivary gland tumors is chosen differently depending on the site. Palliative (drug) therapy also remains diverse. Prospective multicenter studies could help develop evidence-based treatment strategies.

Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Speicheldrüsen und Schilddrüsenerkrankungen

Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022