Rare parotid tumor. A case report and literature review

Salivary lymphoepithelial carcinoma is a rare tumour characterized by nonneoplastic lymphocyte infiltration associated with epithelial proliferation. This is primarily the parotid gland. Racial and geographic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of this tumour. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman from a non-endemic region who had several months of swelling in the parotid region. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a parotid mass suggesting pleomorphic adenoma. Diagnosis of lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland was performed on the surgical specimen. A primitive nasopharyngeal carcinoma was excluded by random biopsies of the mucous nasopharynx. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was present in neoplastic cells.