An Unusual Parotid Mass Metastasis From Breast Cancer

Most parotid masses present with a solitary, discrete, slowly growing, and asymtomatic mass and the great majority of them are primary neoplasms of salivary tissue. However, metastatic disease of the major salivary glands has been reported in the literature. The majority of metastases are caused by lymphatic spread from cutanous malignancy of the head and neck. Hematogenous metastasis are rare and the majority spread from the lung, kidney and ,breast. A distinguishing primary from metastatic lesions has important therapeutic implications. We report a case of a 70 year-old woman presenting with a parotid mass, a metastasis from breast cancer. It was interesting that the parotid mass was the initial sign of the malignancy, because the patient hid her breast cancer symptoms. (JAREM 2013; 3: 36-7)