Over the last 25 years it has become more and more evident that salivary gland pathology is by far the subject within head and neck pathology that causes most diagnostic challenges and problems for general pathologists. During courses the author has given, consultants and trainees alike have expressed the lack of a comprehensive, useful book on salivary gland pathology. Such a book needs to be broad and to illustrate almost every variant of all tumor entities. Another important feature to incorporate is the newly gained knowledge about genetics in salivary gland tumors, a knowledge that has emerged during the last 3-4 years only (and is growing continuously). A mapping of the immunophenotypes of salivary gland tumors is neither available today and will greatly benefit in routine diagnostic work.
