Pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid

Pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid is the most common tumor of salivary gland origin, accounting for 60 to 70 percent of all benign salivary gland tumors. This lesion usually presents as a slow-growing painless mass inferior to the pinna of the ear. The diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The treatment is wide excision in which the entire capsule is removed but the facial nerve is spared. Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent the complications of tumor recurrence and malignant transformation. Carcinoma expleomorphic adenoma arises in longstanding tumors and has a five-year recurrence rate of 75 percent.