Benign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid: long-term surgical results

Benign lymphoepithelial cysts are a widely recognized cause of parotid gland swelling in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These cysts are pathognomonic for HIV. The cysts frequently grow to be exceptionally large, causing physical deformity and gross asymmetry of facial contour. This clinical commentary analyzes this cosmetically deforming disease entity and the many treatments that accompany it. The patient presented in this paper is a surgical case-control. The case is a microcosm for our findings upon review of the literature. Treatment options for benign lymphoepithelial cysts include repeated fine-needle aspiration and drainage, surgery, radiotherapy, sclerotherapy, and conservative therapy, with institution of highly active antiretroviral therapy medication. Based on this surgical case-control and our review of the literature, it is concluded that surgical intervention offers the best cosmetic result for these patients.