Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Presenting as a Parotid Gland Swelling: A Silent Recurrence

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the most common forms of thyroid cancer, originating from the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.It accounts for approximately 80-85% of all thyroid malignancies and is prevalent in women, with a higher incidence in middleaged adults.The authors report a case of a 67 years old female presenting with xerostomia and a gradually enlarging swelling in the right parotid region over 10 months.She had a previous history of PTC and underwent thyroidectomy five years ago.Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the right parotid gland revealed malignant cells consistent with metastatic PTC.Imaging studies ruled out distant metastases.The patient underwent right superficial parotidectomy and ipsilateral neck dissection.This case highlights an unusual presentation of metastatic recurrence as a parotid gland mass in a previously treated thyroid cancer patient.