Salivary gland oncocytomas are most common in ages 70–80, females, the parotid gland (85–90%), and are firm, slowly growing, painless masses of less than 4 cm. They may be bilateral.

An oncocytoma is a tumor made up of oncocytes, epithelial cells characterized by an excessive amount of mitochondria, resulting in an abundant acidophilic, granular cytoplasm. The cells and the tumor that they compose are often benign but sometimes may be premalignant or malignant.

Mucinous cystadenomas may be found in the:

- Ovary - ovarian mucinous cystadenoma

- Pancreas - pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma

- Peritoneum - peritoneal mucinous cystadenoma

- Liver - mucinous cystadenoma of the liver

- Vermiform appendix - appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma (see cystadenoma)

Mucinous cystadenoma is a benign cystic tumor lined by a mucinous epithelium. It is a type of cystic adenoma (cystadenoma).

Mucinous cystadenoma may arise in a number of locations; however, mucinous cystadenoma at different locations are not generally considered to be related to one another.

APAs are characterized by glands with abnormal shapes that: (1) often have squamous metaplasia, and (2) are surrounded by benign smooth muscle. Nuclear atypia, if present, is mild.

The microscopic differential diagnosis includes endometrial carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma.

Atypical polypoid adenomyoma, abbreviated APA, is a rare uncommon benign tumour of the uterus.

Due to the diverse nature of salivary gland tumours, many different terms and classification systems have been used. Perhaps the most widely used currently is that system proposed by the World Health Organization in 2004, which classifies salivary neoplasms as primary or secondary, benign or malignant, and also by tissue of origin. This system defines five broad categories of salivary gland neoplasms:

Benign epithelial tumors

- Pleomorphic adenoma

- Warthin's tumor

- Myoepithelioma

- Basal cell adenoma

- Oncocytoma

- Canalicular adenoma

- Lymphadenoma

- "Sebaceous lymphadenoma"

- "Nonsebaceous lymphadenoma"

- Ductal papilloma

- "Inverted ductal papilloma"

- "Intraductal papilloma"

- "Sialadenoma papilliferum"

- Cystadenoma

- Malignant epithelial tumors

- Acinic cell carcinoma

- Mucoepidermoid carcinoma

- Adenoid cystic carcinoma

- Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma

- Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma

- Clear cell carcinoma, not otherwise specified

- Basal cell adenocarcinoma

- Sebaceous carcinoma

- Sebaceous lymphadenocarcinoma

- Cystadenocarcinoma

- Low-grade cribriform cystadenocarcinoma

- Mucinous adenocarcinoma

- Oncocytic carcinoma

- Salivary duct carcinoma

- Salivary duct carcinoma, not otherwise specified

- Adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified

- Myoepithelial carcinoma

- Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma

- Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma

- Carcinosarcoma

- Metastasizing pleomorphic adenoma

- Squamous cell carcinoma

- Large cell carcinoma

- Lymphoepithelial carcinoma

- Sialoblastoma

- Soft tissue tumors

- Hemangioma

- Hematolymphoid tumors

- Hodgkin lymphoma

- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

- Extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma

- Secondary tumors (i.e. a tumor which has metastasized to the salivary gland from a distant location)

Others, not included in the WHO classification above, include:

- Intraosseous (central) salivary gland tumors

- Hybrid tumors (i.e. a tumor displaying combined forms of histologic tumor types)

- Hybrid carcinoma

- Others

- Others

- Keratocystoma

- Sialolipoma

Benign lymphoepithelial lesion is a type of benign enlargement of the parotid and/or lacrimal glands. This pathologic state is sometimes, but not always, associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

Pineocytoma, also known as a pinealocytoma, is a benign, slowly growing tumor of the pineal gland. Unlike the similar condition pineal gland cyst, it is uncommon.

Salivary gland tumours usually present as a lump or swelling in the affected gland which may or may not have been present for a long time. The lump may be accompanied by symptoms of duct blockage (e.g. xerostomia). Usually, in their early stages it is not possible to distinguish a benign tumour from a malignant one. One of the key differentiating symptoms of a malignant growth is nerve involvement. For example signs of facial nerve damage (e.g facial palsy) are associated with malignant parotid tumours. Facial pain, and paraesthesia are also very often associated with a malignant tumours. Other red flag symptoms which may suggest malignancy and warrant further investigation are fixation of the lump to the overlying skin, ulceration and induration of the mucosa.

Pineocytomas are diagnosed from tissue, i.e. a brain biopsy.

They consist of:

- cytologically benign cells (with nuclei of uniform size, regular nuclear membranes, and light chromatin) and,

- have the characteristic pineocytomatous/neurocytic rosettes, which is an irregular circular/flower-like arrangement of cells with a large meshwork of fibers (neuropil) at the centre.

Pineocytomatous/neurocytic rosettes are superficially similar to Homer Wright rosettes; however, they differ from Homer Wright rosettes as they have (1) more neuropil at centre of the rosette and, (2) the edge of neuropil meshwork irregular/undulating.

Lipoblastoma is a type of subcutaneous benign fatty tumor.

Types include:

- Benign lipoblastomatosis, a tumor, also known as an embryonic lipoma, which usually occurs in children under three years old. This is the tumor of brown fat cells.

- Myxoid lipoblastoma, a cutaneous condition characterized by excess mucin

Myoepithelioma of the head and neck, also myoepithelioma, is a salivary gland tumour of the head and neck that is usually benign.

As the name suggests, it consists of myoepithelial cells. Classically, they are found in the parotid gland or palate. A similar tumor type may be found in the tongue, referred to as ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumor.

It is important to correctly identify, as it can be confused with atypical ductal hyperplasia, cribriform ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Hidradenoma (also known as acrospiroma, from "akral ""peripheral"" + spiroma ""epithelial tumor of sweat gland") refers to a benign adnexal tumor of the apical sweat gland. Another name for Hidradenoma is Cystadenoma and Hydrocystadenomas. These are 1–3 cm translucent blue cystic nodules.It usually presents as a single, small skin-colored lesion, and is considered distinct from the closely related poroma. Hidradenomas are often sub-classified based on subtle histologic differences, for example:

- clear-cell hidradenoma or acrospiroma

- nodular hidradenoma or acrospiroma

- solid-cystic hidradenoma

Discussion of sweat gland tumors can be difficult and confusing due to the complex classification and redundant terminology used to describe the same tumors. For example, acrospiroma and hidradenoma are synonymous, and sometimes the term "acrospiroma" is used to generally describe benign sweat gland tumors. In addition, a single lesion may contain a mixture of cell-types. There has also been a change in understanding about how tumors that were previously believed to strictly derive from specific sweat gland types may, in fact, derive from both eccrine "or" apocrine glands.

Hidradenomas are by definition benign, with malignant transformation very rare. When tumors show malignant characteristics, they are known as hidradenocarcinoma. Surgical excision is usually curative and local recurrences are rare, although malignant tumors may metastasize.

Benign lymphoepithelial lesion is most likely to occur in adults around 50 years of age. There is a predilection for gender with 60–80% being female. The gland affected has a diffuse swelling. The swelling can be asymptomatic, but mild pain can also be associated. There is a preponderance of this disease in those who suffer from HIV infection.

Most cases of benign lymphoepithelial lesions appear in conjunction with Sjögren's syndrome. When Sjögren's syndrome is present, the swelling is usually bilateral. Otherwise, the affected glands are usually only on one side of the body.

In many cases, a biopsy is needed to distinguish benign lymphoepithelial lesions from sialadenosis (sialosis).

The soft fibroma (fibroma molle) or fibroma with a shaft (acrochordon, skin tag, fibroma pendulans) consist of many loosely connected cells and less fibroid tissue. It mostly appears at the neck, armpits or groin. The photo shows a soft fibroma of the eyelid.

Collagenous spherulosis, also mucinous spherulosis and simply spherulosis, is a benign finding in breast pathology. It is almost always an incidental finding, though it is occasionally associated with calcifications, which may lead to a biopsy.

An adenoma of a parathyroid gland may secrete inappropriately high amounts of parathyroid hormone and thereby cause primary hyperparathyroidism.

Myoepitheliomas are diagnosed from an examination of the tissue by a pathologist.

Pleomorphic adenoma is a common benign salivary gland neoplasm characterised by neoplastic proliferation of parenchymatous glandular cells along with myoepithelial components, having a malignant potentiality. It is the most common type of salivary gland tumor and the most common tumor of the parotid gland. It derives its name from the architectural Pleomorphism (variable appearance) seen by light microscopy. It is also known as "Mixed tumor, salivary gland type", which describes its pleomorphic appearance as opposed to its dual origin from epithelial and myoepithelial elements.

See Hepatocellular adenoma. Hepatic adenomas are a rare benign tumour of the liver, which may present with hepatomegaly or other symptoms.

The hard fibroma (fibroma durum) consists of many fibres and few cells, e.g. in skin it is called dermatofibroma (fibroma simplex or nodulus cutaneous). A special form is the keloid, which derives from hyperplastic growth of scars.

The tumor is usually solitary and presents as a slow growing, painless, firm single nodular mass. Isolated nodules are generally outgrowths of the main nodule rather than a multinodular presentation. It is usually mobile unless found in the palate and can cause atrophy of the mandibular ramus when located in the parotid gland. When found in the parotid tail, it may present as an eversion of the ear lobe. Though it is classified as a benign tumor, pleomorphic adenomas have the capacity to grow to large proportions and may undergo malignant transformation, to form carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma, a risk that increases with time (9.5% chance to convert into malignancy in 15 years). Although it is "benign" the tumor is aneuploid, it can recur after resection, it invades normal adjacent tissue and distant metastases have been reported after long (+10 years) time intervals.

A papillary hidradenoma, also hidradenoma papilliferum, is a sharply circumscribed nodule or benign tumor of the apocrine gland usually found on the labia majora or the interlabial folds. It is benign tissue (not cancerous) but is often confused clinically with carcinoma of the vulva because of its tendency to ulcerate.