Outcomes and Characteristics of Mesenchymal Tumors Involving the Parotid Gland.

Background: Malignant mesenchymal tumors involving the parotid gland are uncommon, characteristically aggressive, and little is known with few reports documented.

Study design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Single institution tertiary care center, 2010 to 2022.

Method: Patients were identified from an institutional parotid tumor database. Patient history, demographics, pathologic diagnosis, treatment, and follow up were documented.

Results: Eight patients were identified, 3 were males. The average age was 61 years old, and the most common tumors identified were pleomorphic sarcomas (3 patients). Presenting symptoms included: preauricular/cheek mass in 7 patients, facial pain (4), otalgia (4), aural fullness (3), and numbness (1). All patients received a parotidectomy, and 4 patients received adjuvant therapy of either radiation or chemoradiation. Post-operatively, there were 3 cases of distant recurrence, 2 cases of regional recurrence, and 1 case of local recurrence. There were 2 reports of death.

Conclusion: Malignant mesenchymal tumors of the parotid are rare, represent varied histologies. Due to their aggressive nature, surgical resection with radiation and close follow-up may be an appropriate treatment regimen in controlling the disease.