title: Primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland in a North African woman.
abstract: Lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the salivary glands is a rare neoplasm that is characterized by a non-neoplastic lymphocytic infiltration associated with an epithelial proliferation. It involves mainly the parotid gland. Racial and geographical factors contribute to the pathogenesis of this tumor. We report a case of a 70-year old woman from a non-endemic area who presented with several months history of swelling in the parotid region. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a parotid mass suggestive of a pleomorphic adenoma. The diagnosis of lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland was performed on the surgical specimen. A primitive nasopharyngeal carcinoma was ruled out by random biopsies of the nasopharynx mucosa. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was absent in neoplastic cells. We insist that, even in non-endemic areas and when clinical and radiological characteristics are not suggestive of malignancy, intra-operative frozen section analysis should be used in order to ensure the appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia;
authors.forename: Soumaya Ben
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Abdelkrim
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hammedi
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omezzine
authors.forename: Soumaya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rammeh
authors.forename: Atef Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Abdelkader
authors.forename: Badreddine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sriha