Tuberculosis of the parotid gland

The different tumours of the parotid gland can be divided in benign or malignant tumours, regional inflammations and enlarged lymph nodes. We report on a 26-year-old male from Uganda with a slowly growing tumour of the right parotid gland for several months. The CT scan showed a poorly defined intraparotideal tumour. Ultrasonography revealed multiple enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Suspecting a neoplasm of the parotid gland we decided to perform a superficial parotidectomy for histological examination. The pathological analysis revealed a caseous necrosis and epitheloid granulomata containing Langhans giant cells. The polymerase chain reaction could not confirm our suspicion of tuberculosis. The Ziehl-Neelsen staining did not show any acid-proof rods. Only the breeding of the suspicious probes generated Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Initially denying any infections the patient admitted to having had tuberculosis that had been treated with antibiotics 2 years previously. Tuberculosis is a rare finding in parotid tumours. It must be considered as a differential diagnosis of parotid enlargements.