Primary pleomorphic adenoma of the parapharyngeal space

Abstract

Parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumors are rare, accounting for 0.5% of all head-and-neck neoplasms. Most of them are benign and originate in the salivary glands. Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign salivary gland tumor originating from PPS. We report a case of a 32-year-old patient presented with the complaints of a snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, and painless parapharyngeal mass from 3 to 4 years. As PPS tumors are difficult to diagnose early due to their complex anatomy and vague presentation, histopathological examination remains the gold standard for final diagnosis.

Keywords

• Parapharyngeal space
• parotid gland
• pleomorphic adenoma