Aim: The aim of this study was to review the cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma diagnosed at the Stomatology Service of São Lucas Hospital (PUCRS).
Methods: Medical charts were reviewed focusing on the sex and age of the patients, clinical aspect, anatomic site, signs and symptoms, size and histological grade of the lesion.
Results and conclusion: Of the 19383 patients who were seen between 1978 and 2009, 675 (3.48%) had a histopathological diagnosis of malignant neoplasm of the oral maxillofacial region including 12 (1.78%) cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The mean age of patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma was 43.8 years, and there was a predilection for males (58.7%). All cases occurred in the minor salivary glands, and the palate was the site most frequently affected (41.7%). Pain and local irritation were present in 50% of cases, and the size of lesions ranged from 0.3 cm to 5.0 cm. The histological classification of low- and intermediate-grade occurred at the same frequency (36.4%), and symptoms (pain, local irritation) occurred indiscriminately in different grades of tumor.