A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Aspects of Conventional Polymorphous Adenocarcinoma and Cribriform Adenocarcinoma of Salivary Glands: A Systematic Review.

Background: Polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PmA) is the second most common malignant neoplasm in minor salivary glands; a subtype of this lesion was described in 2005 with more aggressive behavior, Cribriform Adenocarcinoma of Salivary Glands (CASG).

Objective: To compare the clinical aspects of conventional PmA and CASG originating in minor salivary glands of the oral cavity through the analysis of observational studies reported in the literature between 2005 and 2025.

Method: This systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review included searches of Pubmed, Lilacs, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A total of 988 records were identified, and after the selection process, 47 articles were chosen for inclusion.

Results: Females were the most affected (61% in PmA and 73.3% in CASG). The average age variation was 60 in PmA and 57.3 in CASG. The most frequent anatomical location was the palate (42.4%) in PmA and the tongue (46.7%) in CASG. Lymph node metastasis was found in 15.2% in PmA and in 60% in CASG. The most commonly used treatment was surgical excision (72.72%) in PmA and surgical excision and neck dissection (46.67%) in CASG. Recurrence rates were 9.09% in PmA and 33.33% in CASG. The average follow-up period was 21.7 months in PmA and 43.9 in CASG.

Conclusion: Female predilection and average age of 60 years are common between the two tumors. The clinical variables with quantitative differences are anatomical location, lymph node metastasis, treatment modality, and recurrence.