Clinical predictors of malignancy in palatal salivary gland tumors

Objectives To establish a predictive clinical index of malignancy risk in palatal salivary gland tumors (PSGT). Materials and methods One hundred cases of PSGT were evaluated. Clinical data were retrieved from the patient's files. Representative clinical photographs of each tumor were evaluated to identify clinical features suggestive of a malignant tumor. Features significantly associated with malignancy were included in a binary logistic regression model. Results Malignant tumors were more common in the hard palate, in women and in older patients. Features associated with a malignant diagnosis included pain (p = .017), irregular surface (p = .004), bluish/purple coloration (p