Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma presenting as a painless lump in the parotid

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is a rare neoplasm of the antigen presenting cells of the immune system. The majority occur in lymph nodes but around 30% can occur extranodally including in the spleen, lungs, head and neck and liver. We present an unusual case of an FDCS of the parotid gland in a 51-year-old woman with a history of Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with combination chemotherapy and modified mantle radiotherapy. Only four cases of an intraparotid FDCS have been previously reported. The patient underwent a superficial parotidectomy and level 2/3 neck dissection. A diagnosis of an intraparotid FDCS (25 mm) with no nodal disease was made. Given this patient's history of radiotherapy 20 years previously, we speculate the possibility of postradiation sarcoma.