Intraglandular toxoplasmosis of the parotid gland pre- or postoperative diagnosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an ubiquitous protozoan infection, caused by the coccidian Toxoplasma gondii. It usually presents clinically with lymphadenopathy, mainly in the head and neck region. However, in the English literature, very scarce cases of intraparotid Toxoplasma exist, none having been diagnosed preoperatively. In this article, we present 2 cases of intraglandular parotid toxoplasmosis, one diagnosed postoperatively and the other preoperatively. We also review the relevant literature concerning Toxoplasma infection of the parotid gland.