DO BENIGNO AO MALIGNO: ANÁLISE COMPARATIVA ENTRE O ADENOMA PLEOMÓRFICO E O CARCINOMA MUCOEPIDERMÓIDE EM GLÂNDULAS SALIVARES

Abstract

Salivary gland neoplasms range from benign to malignant behavior, requiring precise diagnosis. Pleomorphic Adenoma (PA) is the most common benign tumor, whereas Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC) stands out among malignant lesions. Distinguishing between the two is essential for proper clinical management. The aim of this research is to conduct a comparative analysis between pleomorphic adenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. This is an integrative literature review, qualitative and descriptive in nature, based on 21 articles indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, published between 2020 and 2025. Articles published in Portuguese and English directly related to the topic were included, while undergraduate theses, dissertations, articles older than five years, and publications in other languages or unrelated to the study’s objective were excluded. The literature highlights the importance of microscopic analysis and specific markers for accurate diagnosis of salivary gland pathologies, as MEC may present similarly to PA—particularly in well-differentiated lesions—and displays wide clinical variability. Thus, the use of immunohistochemical markers in differentiating pleomorphic adenoma from mucoepidermoid carcinoma enables the establishment of more precise prognostic parameters, contributing to clinical decision-making and improving therapeutic planning. Keywords: Pleomorphic Adenoma; Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma; Salivary Gland Neoplasms.