A rare case of pancreatic adenocarcinoma metastasis to the parotid gland

Abstract

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma rarely metastasizes to the parotid gland. More frequently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma will metastasize to the liver, lung, or peritoneum. Parotid metastasis most often arises from cancers originating in the head and neck such as squamous cell carcinoma. In the setting of facial nerve palsy and a parotid mass, a thorough history should always be obtained. Although rare, knowing the patient has a distant primary tumor can raise suspicion for metastasis to the parotid gland. Immunohistochemistry and pathology combined with a thorough history can be helpful in distinguishing the type of metastasis versus a primary parotid gland tumor when assessing the parotid mass. This report demonstrates a rare case of pancreatic adenocarcinoma metastasizing to the parotid gland. There are several routes of management discussed, but due to this patient's poor prognosis and comorbidities, palliative radiation therapy was the treatment of choice.

Keywords

• Parotid
• Cancer
• Metastasis
• Pancreatic
• Adenocarcinoma