Office-based sclerotherapy for benign parotid lymphoepithelial cysts in the HIV-positive patient

To determine the efficacy of sodium morrhuate injection therapy in the control of benign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid gland.

Retrospective review.

The medical records of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients who presented to an indigent care hospital for the evaluation and management of benign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid gland are reviewed. Cyst laterality, aspiration and injection volumes, and noted complications were recorded. When applicable, elapsed time between recurrent interventions was recorded.

Medical records were available for a total of nine patients who underwent aspiration and injection of 34 cysts. Five of the nine patients required therapy for additional cyst formation an average of 11.8 months after initial intervention. There have been no known instances of facial nerve or parotid gland injury, and the only recorded postprocedure complaints were pain and mild edema.

While multiple cysts may arise and serial intervention may be required, we believe that in association with broader clinical experience, the data presented here support aspiration and sodium morrhuate injection as a safe, minimally invasive, and efficacious technique in the treatment of benign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid gland in the HIV-positive population.