[Warthin's tumor. Description of 2 cases]

Warthin's tumor is a debated pathological condition. There are many controversies concerning this disease such as its origin (hereditary or acquired), its nature (whether neoplastic or no), its topographical relation with the salivary glands, its relationship with possible concomitant pathologies (dysmetabolic, infective, neoplastic, etc.), the problems of diagnosis and of differential diagnosis with all possible causes of cervical swelling, and also the problems of surgical treatment in relation to the possible involvement of the salivary glands. In this paper two clinical cases are described. The first one is characterized by a latero-cervical bilateral Warthin's tumor, apparently independent of the salivary glands, associated with rhinopharyngeal lymphatic hyperplasia and nodular colloid goiter. The second case is characterized by a latero-cervical uni-lateral Warthin's tumor, linked by a slender layer with the ipsilateral parotid gland, associated with breast cancer. Starting point from the discussion of these two cases, the Authors make remarks in order to answer some of the aforementioned questions.