Dermoid Cyst of the Parotid Gland: Case Report of a Rare Entity and Review of the Literature

Patient: Female, 26-year-old Final Diagnosis: Dermoid cyst Symptoms: Neck mass Clinical Procedure: Surgery Specialty: Pathology OBJECTIVE: Rare disease BACKGROUND: A dermoid cyst is a benign, epithelial-lined cavitary lesion composed of ectoderm and mesoderm that can arise anywhere in the body, with a tendency to develop in midline structures such as the coccyx and ovary. It is a rare entity in the head and neck region, where the incidence is 7% of all body dermoid cysts. Of these 7% (dermoid cysts found within the head and neck area), 80% are found localized to areas around the orbit, oral region, and nasal region. Within the parotid gland, they are extremely rare, with less than 25 cases reported in the existing literature. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 26-year-old woman with a long-standing left parotid mass that was found to be a dermoid cyst after surgical excision and histological evaluation. We examine the clinical presentation and imaging findings used to establish a presumptive diagnosis to guide treatment options. Although preoperative fine-needle aspiration was not performed in this case, it is often used to clarify the differential diagnosis before definitive surgical management is undertaken. CONCLUSIONS: Intraparotid dermoid cysts are rare, benign entities that require complete cystectomy for definitive management. As surgical excision is the only curative method, preoperative histopathological diagnosis via biopsy may be unnecessary. Our paper adds to the existing literature by presenting a case of an intraparotid dermoid cyst successfully treated surgically in a 26-year-old woman.