Article Text
Abstract
Keratocystoma of the parotid gland is a rare benign tumour, with only a handful of case reports in literature. We report a case of a man in his 70s who presented to the head and neck clinic with a 2-month history of a gradually increasing left neck swelling. Fine-needle aspiration showed contents of an epidermal cyst; however, an MRI showed a solid/cystic mass with a low T2 signal, suggesting increased risk of malignancy. The patient went on to have a left superficial parotidectomy and level IIa supraselective neck dissection. The lesion contained laminated keratin and was lined by squamous epithelium, with nodal extension. Features were those of a keratocystoma; metastatic cystic well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was not favoured. This is the first reported case of a parotid keratocystoma with nodal extension of the lesion. This case report demonstrates that surgical excision and clinical monitoring can be a safe management strategy for these benign tumours.
- Head and neck surgery
- Pathology
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Footnotes
Contributors AA and SM contributed equally to the work and should be considered joint first authors. All authors contributed to the planning and reporting of this case report. AA and SM led equally in the construction of case summaries and literature review. PB contributed key details and feedback with regards to the pathology of the case report. PA supervised the project, contributing key details about the report and comments/suggestions for improvement.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.