Found a painless lump near your ear or jaw? It could be a pleomorphic adenoma—let's break down what you need to know.

Have you ever noticed a small lump near your ear, along your jawline, or inside your mouth? You might not feel any pain, so it is easy to ignore it.

Even if a small bump feels harmless, staying informed about your health is always a smart choice. Today, we are going to talk about a specific condition known as a pleomorphic adenoma.

What is a Pleomorphic Adenoma?

To put it simply, a pleomorphic adenoma is a noncancerous tumor. It is not a malignant cancer that travels around your body.

However, this growth can develop in your salivary glands. Did you know your mouth has several glands that make saliva?

These tumors most often form in the parotid glands, which sit right in front of your ears. They can also grow in the submandibular glands under your jaw and inside the small salivary glands on the roof of your mouth.

The best part is that once a doctor removes the tumor through surgery, it very rarely grows back.

How Common is This Condition?

You might wonder how often this condition actually happens. In truth, a pleomorphic adenoma is not extremely common.

Looking at statistics in countries like the United States, it affects about 3 people per 100,000. However, the most important detail is that among noncancerous salivary gland tumors, this is the most frequent type seen.

While anyone can develop this lump, it is most commonly found in women between the ages of 30 and 70.

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What Are the Symptoms of a Pleomorphic Adenoma?

How do these tumors show symptoms? They are most commonly found in these specific areas:

• Right in front of your ear (this is a pleomorphic adenoma in the parotid gland).
• Underneath your jaw (this is in the submandibular gland).
• On the roof of your mouth or floor of your mouth (these are in the small salivary glands).

One of the most important things to know is that these tumors grow very slowly. Because of this, you might not notice any symptoms at all in the beginning. As time passes, these signs start to show:

• You feel a painless, single lump under your skin, near your jaw, close to your ear, or inside your mouth.
• When you press on the lump, it might feel soft to some people and quite firm to others.
• Most of the time, if you gently push the lump with your fingers, you can feel it move around a little bit.

Many pleomorphic adenoma growths measure anywhere from 2 centimeters (about the size of a peanut) up to 6 centimeters (about the size of an egg). However, if left untreated, these tumors can sometimes grow much larger.

Medical literature has even recorded rare cases growing up to 35 centimeters (about 13 inches!). Just imagine how uncomfortable it would be to live with a lump that large.

What Causes a Pleomorphic Adenoma?

Medical researchers still do not know the exact cause of a pleomorphic adenoma. Even so, experts have identified a few possible risk factors:

• Exposure to radiation: Some studies suggest that people who received radiation therapy for head and neck cancers might develop these tumors 15 or 20 years later.
• Exposure to certain chemicals: Working in rubber manufacturing, asbestos mining, or plumbing trades where certain chemicals are used is also suspected as a potential trigger.

What Complications Can Happen?

This is a detail that deserves careful attention. Ordinarily, about 5 percent of pleomorphic adenoma tumors can turn into cancerous tumors.

Doctors call this condition carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma. Medical researchers do not yet have a completely clear understanding of why this happens.

This is why we always emphasize that even a small lump should never be ignored, and you should always seek medical advice.

How Do Doctors Diagnose This Condition?

When you visit a doctor, they will first perform a physical examination. They will check the exact location of the lump and feel its texture.

Next, they will ask you about your symptoms. They may also order these tests:

• Computed Tomography (CT scan): This test takes detailed cross-sectional pictures inside your body. It helps doctors clearly check the size and location of the tumor.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scan): This test also looks inside your body, much like a CT scan. However, it gives much clearer images of soft tissues.
• Needle biopsy: During this test, a doctor uses a very fine needle to take a small fluid sample or tissue piece from the lump. They then examine it under a microscope to check the nature of the tumor. This test helps confirm whether the tumor is cancerous or benign.

How Do Doctors Treat a Pleomorphic Adenoma?

The main and most common treatment for this condition is surgery to remove either part or all of the gland affected by the pleomorphic adenoma.

For example, if someone has a pleomorphic adenoma in their parotid gland, a surgeon will perform a procedure called a parotidectomy. This means removing part or all of the parotid gland.

What Are the Possible Complications of Surgery?

Just like any surgical procedure, this surgery can come with some potential complications. Let us learn about them.

Do not worry, as these do not happen to everyone. Surgeons do their absolute best to minimize these risks.

• Reaction to anesthesia: Some people might experience allergies or other reactions to the medicines used to put you to sleep before surgery.
• Excessive bleeding: You might experience heavy bleeding during or after the procedure.
• Infection: Germs can enter through the surgical wound and cause an infection.
• Facial nerve damage leading to temporary or permanent facial paralysis: This is a very important detail. The facial nerve, which controls your facial movements, is located right near the parotid gland. If this nerve gets injured during surgery, movements on one side of your face might become weak or stop completely. This is often temporary, but in rare cases, it can become permanent.
• Frey syndrome: This is an unusual condition. When the severed nerves heal after surgery, they can mistakenly reconnect with your sweat glands. If that happens, when you eat—especially spicy foods—the side of your face where you had surgery might start sweating.
• Trouble speaking or swallowing: If the nerves in your face and mouth experience injury, talking and swallowing food can become a bit difficult.
• Scarring: Surgeries to remove salivary gland tumors can sometimes leave visible scars. Even so, doctors do their best to perform the surgery in a way that minimizes scarring.

What is the Outlook for Pleomorphic Adenoma?

This is truly wonderful news! More than 90 percent of pleomorphic adenoma tumors removed through surgery never return.

This means the surgery completely cures the condition. So you do not need to worry.

Can You Prevent This Condition?

Unfortunately, because medical researchers still do not know the exact cause, there is no specific way to prevent this condition.

How Do You Take Care of Yourself?

The best thing you can do is to pay close attention to any new lumps that pop up in your jaw area or near your ear.

If they do not go away after about a week, make sure to visit a doctor. You might think, 'Oh, should I really see a doctor for this small lump?'

The short answer is yes, absolutely. You are not alone, as many people visit doctors because of these kinds of unusual lumps.

Even though the chance of this happening is low, a new lump near your jaw or ear could be a sign of a pleomorphic adenoma in your parotid or submandibular glands.

Remember, a pleomorphic adenoma is not a cancer, but rarely, these tumors can turn into cancerous growths.

What Questions Should You Ask Your Doctor?

You can ask your doctor questions such as:

• Do I have more than one of these noncancerous tumors?
• What treatment options are available to me?
• Will treatment completely cure this tumor?
• What kind of things can I expect after surgery? What complications might happen?
• What is the chance of this coming back, and what can I do to prevent it?
• Will this condition affect my everyday life?

Asking these questions helps you gain a strong understanding of your health condition.

So, if you see a new lump, bump, or growth near your ear, along your jaw, or inside your mouth, even if it does not hurt, and it does not go away within a week or two, please visit a doctor for advice. Catching it early is always better than anything else. Do not worry, doctors are here to help you.