Mucinous Cystadenoma of Parotid Gland: A Rare Entity

Cystadenoma is a benign salivary gland tumor that develops very infrequently. The commonest site for their occurrence is minor salivary glands, where these present as cystic growths with papillary projections. Cystadenomas are often interpreted as mucous retention cysts. Therefore, histopathological confirmation is essential for further treatment and follow-up of the patients, even after the surgery, to keep a check on the recurrence and, in the long run, the exclusion of the possibility of malignant transformation. We report a case of mucinous cystadenoma of the salivary gland occurring in a 44-year-old male who presented with a painless mass, gradually increasing in size over the period of 3 years. The radiological evaluation reported it as a retention cyst. Fine needle aspiration cytology was performed, followed by complete surgical excision of the lesion. Diagnosis of mucinous cystadenoma in the parotid gland was made. There are only a few cases of mucinous cystadenoma of the parotid gland reported so far from the world, and to the best of author’s knowledge, it is the first case of its kind reported from Pakistan.