The most common benign tumor of the salivary gland is

PLEOMORPHIC ADENOMA It is the most common benign tumour of salivary glands. It can arise from the parotid, submandibular or other minor salivary glands. In the parotid it usually arises from its tail. Pleomorphic adenomas are slow-growing tumours. They are usually seen in the third or fouh decade, with propensity for females. They are called "mixed tumours" because both epithelial and mesenchymal elements are seen in histology. The stroma of the tumour may be mucoid, fibroid, vascular, myxochondroid or chondroid and its propoion to the epithelial element may vary. Though tumour is encapsulated, it sends pseudopods into the surrounding gland which are left behind if the tumour is simply shelled out. It is therefore essential that surgical excision of the tumour should include normal gland tissue around it. In the parotid, it amounts to superficial parotidectomy. Ref:- Dhingra; pg num:-234