Fourteen salivary gland type tumors were analyzed with a combination of conventional cytogenetics via GTG-banding, molecular cytogenetics via fluorescent in situ hybridization, and chromosome morphometry. Nine tumors were benign (eight pleomorphic adenomas and one Warthin tumor) five tumors were malignant (one carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma, two adenoid cystic carcinomas including one from the breast, a basal cell adenocarcinoma, and an acinic cell carcinoma). Thirteen specimens grew in tissue culture; the basal cell adenocarcinoma did not grow. The Warthin tumor had a normal karyotype, one pleomorphic adenoma was normal, one had a clone with a missing Y chromosome, and the other pleomorphic adenomas had structural chromosomal abnormalities including the following: translocations between chromosomes 3 and 8, chromosomes 6 and 16, chromosomes 8 and 9, chromosomes 8 and 12, chromosomes 8 and 14, and chromosomes 8 and 21. Of the four malignant tumors with karyotypes, the acinic cell carcinoma and one adenoid cystic carcinoma were normal, the second adenoid cystic carcinoma showed a normal polymorphic variant, whereas the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma demonstrated the following karyotype: 46,XX,dir ins(8;5)(q12;q12q35), add(12)(p13)/46,XX. In conclusion, 66% of the benign tumors and 25% of the malignant tumors demonstrated abnormal karyotypes.