Tuberculous parotitis: two cases in Libyan patients

Two patients with tuberculous parotitis are described. This condition is rare, and has not previously been recorded in Libya. Unilateral tuberculous parotitis is clinically indistinguishable from a parotid tumour, and imaging techniques may also fail to reveal the true diagnosis. If other features point to tuberculous parotitis, fine needle aspiration allowing bacteriological confirmation is the most useful investigation.