An accessory parotid gland, usually located anterior to the main parotid gland, occurs in 20% to 60% of humans. However, tumors arising in accessory parotid glands are rare. We report a case of an accessory parotid gland tumor and review the relevant literature.
In 1999, a 79-year-old woman presented with a mass arising in the right cheek. The mass was noted by the general surgeon at our hospital. Dissection of a right cheek mass had been performed by another surgeon in 1984, but we were unable to obtain further information. The mass in the right cheek recurred in 1989 and had slowly grown since that time. The mass was pathologically diagnosed as adenoma on fine-needle aspiration, and the patient was referred to our department. A computed tomography scan of the head showed a subcutaneous mass measuring 2.0×3.0cm, located on the masseter muscle and anterior to the main parotid gland. The tumor was removed through a wide parotidectomy-style approach modified by extension of incisions anterosuperiorly and inferoanteriorly. The mass was 1.5cm anterior to the main parotid gland. The zygomatic and buccal branches of the facial nerve and parotid duct adhered to the mass, but there were no complications, such as permanent facial paralysis or salivary fistula. A routine pathological examination showed the presence of pleomorphic adenoma.
