Parotid dermoid cyst: a rare entity.

OBJECTIVE: We report a rare case of parotid dermoid cyst.

METHOD: A case report of parotid dermoid cyst is presented, as well as a brief review of the literature and a summary of the lesion's salient clinicopathological features.

RESULTS: A 69-year-old man presented with a slow-growing, soft tissue mass of the left parotid gland. Pre-operative evaluation included fine needle aspiration cytology and computed tomography. He subsequently underwent a superficial lobectomy; both the macroscopic and histopathological findings were consistent with a dermoid cyst. Although dermoids within the head and neck are not uncommon, such cysts have only rarely been encountered in the parotid gland.

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, there are only four previous case reports of parotid dermoid cyst in the English literature. Although the majority of cases of parotid dermoid cyst are diagnosed retrospectively, our case demonstrates the role of fine needle aspiration cytology and highlights the key cytological features suggestive of this entity.