A giant pleomorphic salivary adenoma of the parotid gland: a case report

Abstract

Pleomorphic Salivary Adenomas (PSAs) are the most common salivary gland tumours. They affect the parotid gland mostly. PSAs are benign tumours that grow in size up to several centimeters and several kilograms in weight. If left untreated or following delayed presentation for treatment, they have the capacity to undergo malignant transformation or grow to giant PSA. We present a 48-year-old Nigerian female patient residing in a rural setting that presented at the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery department of the Federal Medical Center, Asaba with a 10-year history of a slow growing painless left facial giant swelling. The clinical provisional diagnosis was PSA. Cytopathological diagnosis by fine needle aspiration biopsy was that of a benign salivary gland tumour possibly a PSA. Parotidectomy with preservation of facial nerve was done followed by histopathologic evaluation. Definitive histopathological diagnosis was PSA. Healing of the surgical site after treatment was satisfactory and patient was under followup. Five years after surgery, no recurrence seen.