Lipoma of the Parotid Gland-A Rare Entity

Abstract

Lipomatous tumours are the most commonly encountered benign neoplasms of mesenchymal origin. The lipomas consisting entirely of mature fat are the most common soft tissue tumour of the body occurring predominantly in upper back, shoulder and abdomen; but have been virtually reported arising in every location where fat is normally present. The incidence of lipoma in parotid gland is rare and it commonly presents as gradually progressing painless mass. Hence, it is seldom considered in the differential diagnosis of parotid swelling. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has been proved to be unreliable in diagnosing parotid lipomas, but histopathology helps in making the correct diagnosis. Computed Tomography (CT) scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can lead to an accurate pre-operative diagnosis of parotid lipoma as well as to evaluate the location of the tumour to programme the correct surgical approach. The present case was of parotid lipoma involving the superficial lobe in a 40-year-old male who presented with left parotid swelling. Lipomas are rarely observed in the parotid gland and this case was being presented because of the relative rarity of lipomas in the parotid region.

Keywords

• benign tumour
• lipomatous tumour
• salivary glands