Lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland case report

Abstract

Lymphoepithelial carcinoma was first described in 1921 by Regaud and Schminke as a tumor of the nasopharynx, an undifferentiated carcinoma with predominant lymphocytic infiltration.2 Lymphoepithelial carcinoma is a very rare type of nasopharyngeal tumors which can also affect salivary glands and the parotid gland specifically.3 A relatively small number of cases have been reported since the first encounter with this tumor in the salivary glands, being less than 150 cases in a 40 year period.4 Lymphoepithelial carcinoma can be commonly found in organs other than salivary glands such as lungs, ovaries, and breast.