Cavernous hemangioma of the accessory parotid gland

Abstract

We report a rare case of a hemangioma arising from the accessory parotid gland. The patient, a 45-year-old woman, complained of a right midcheek mass. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined mass located in the right buccal space, anterior to the masseter muscle, and adjacent to the Stensen duct. The mass had high T2-weighted signal intensity and showed strong patchy enhancement with gadolinium. This mass was surrounded by a common capsule with the accessory parotid gland. These findings indicated a hemangioma originating from the accessory parotid gland. The mass was completely removed by an intraoral approach without postoperative facial palsy, skin deformity, and difficulty in secreting saliva. Histologic examination of the tumor revealed multiple, thin-walled, and dilated blood vessels, confirming the diagnosis of a cavernous hemangioma. Magnetic resonance imaging was extremely useful in diagnosing the mass as a hemangioma before surgery, clarifying relationships between the mass and adjacent structures and determining the surgical approach to the mass.