Surgical treatment outcomes of patients with bilateral warthin tumors in the parotid gland.

We describe the treatment outcomes of patients with bilateral Warthin tumors in the parotid gland according to surgical methods. The medical records of ten patients with bilateral Warthin tumors in the parotid gland who underwent surgery between 2004 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Ten patients were included in the study and 13 parotidectomies were performed. Patients with bilateral Warthin tumors in the parotid gland were divided into three groups according to the surgical methods used to treat these individuals. In group 1, the patients were closely observed without undergoing contralateral parotidectomy after unilateral parotidectomy. In group 2, the patients underwent concurrent bilateral parotidectomies. In group 3, the patient underwent contralateral parotidectomy 2 months after unilateral parotidectomy was performed. The overall rate of transient facial nerve dysfunction was 31%. Our findings suggest that concurrent superficial parotidectomy may be an appropriate method for treating bilateral Warthin tumors in the parotid gland, at least for desired patients. The symptoms of this type of tumor and physical examination findings are frequently non-specific and present in the unilateral parotid gland. Therefore, a high degree of discernment is needed and imaging techniques are essential for the determining the correct pre-operative diagnosis.