Isolated involvement of parotid in unicentric Castleman disease

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Radiology

Background:

• Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder affecting lymph nodes, commonly in the mediastinum.
• Parotid gland involvement is typically seen in multicentric CD, while isolated unicentric CD of the parotid is exceptionally rare.
• Untreated unicentric CD can progress to multicentric CD or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, necessitating timely diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a rare case of unicentric Castleman disease with isolated parotid gland involvement in an adult.
• To discuss the diagnostic challenges and potential role of advanced MRI in evaluating parotid gland CD.
• To underscore the importance of diagnosing and treating unicentric CD to prevent disease progression.

Main Methods:

• Case report presentation of an adult male with a slow-growing parotid swelling.
• Review of clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and histopathological findings (hyaline vascular type CD).
• Discussion of imaging findings, particularly MRI, in the context of differential diagnosis for parotid masses.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with a solitary, slow-growing parotid mass.
• Histopathological examination confirmed hyaline vascular type Castleman disease.
• While specific radiological findings for CD are lacking, MRI aided in characterizing the lesion and narrowing differential diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Isolated unicentric Castleman disease of the parotid gland is a rare entity requiring high clinical suspicion.
• Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent progression to multicentric CD or lymphoma.
• Advanced imaging techniques like MRI may assist in the diagnostic process for this rare condition.