Surgical management of nonmalignant parotid masses in the pediatric population: the Montreal Children's Hospital's experience.

Nonmalignant parotid masses in children can have protean etiologies ranging from infective parotitis to a benign neoplastic, vascular, or congenital origin. We review the 10-year experience of a tertiary care pediatric centre with respect to the surgical management of nonmalignant parotid masses. In total, 15 patients with nonmalignant masses of the parotid gland region underwent surgery. Five children were diagnosed with lymphoepithelial cyst or first branchial cleft cyst. Three children were diagnosed with parotid abscess, one of whom had atypical mycobacteria. Other diagnoses included lymphangioma (three cases), chronic inflammation (two cases), and epidermoid cyst (one case). One patient who presented with a parotid cyst was diagnosed postoperatively with plexiform neurofibroma of the facial nerve. She was the only patient with postoperative facial nerve paresis, affecting the orbital branch. Presentation and postoperative complications of these surgically managed nonmalignant parotid masses are reviewed. The history and physical examination are of the utmost importance in predicting the diagnosis, although ultrasonography and computed tomography can be useful. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was not well tolerated by children and appears of little use as the accurate diagnosis was provided by the surgical pathology specimen.