Salivary gland involvement as an initial presentation of Wegener's disease. A case report

The case is presented of a 47-year-old woman with an 8-week history of persistent right ear discomfort and a 2-week history of unilateral parotid swelling, as well as peripheral paresis of the facial nerve. The case points to the difficulties encountered when Wegener's granulomatosis presents in an unusual and varied way which mimics a malignant tumour of the parotid gland. To our knowledge, the association of parotid gland involvement and facial palsy in Wegener's granulomatosis has not previously been described in the literature.