A Rare Case of Subtotal Parotidectomy of Bilateral Oncocytomas with Facial Nerve Preservation

Abstract

Oncocytomas are a group of rare tumours of the parotid glands which have benign epithelial origin with incidence about 1% of parotid neoplasms but can exist in many organs. Bilateral non-malignant parotid oncocytomas are very rare. We report the case of a 63-year-old female patient who presented to the outpatients’ clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) service with bilateral facial swelling of one year duration. Clinical examination determined bilateral parotid oncocytoma. Imaging studies revealed hypodense expansive masses on both parotid glands. A biopsy of the nodular lesions confirmed the presence of oncocytoma. The patient was initially treated with right subtotal parotidectomy and preservation of the facial nerve. The tumor of the left parotid was under follow-up due to its slow progression and it has been successfully removed two years after the right parotid oncocytoma. The patient to-date remains in good health and disease free, two years following the left subtotal parotidectomy.