Sialolipoma of the parotid gland

A case of slow-enlarging mass of the parotid region in a 44-year-old male is presented, which proved to be a lipomatous tumour of the parotid gland. The clinical impression was that of a benign salivary gland tumour. The tumour was situated in the deep lobe of the gland, thus a total parotidectomy was performed, with preservation of the facial nerve. Microscopically the lesion was described as consisting of mature adipose tissue, which, however, encompassed both glandular elements and nerve bundles within it. This tumour has been recently recognized as a separate entity under the term 'sialolipoma'. (c) 2005 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery.