Differential diagnosis and surgical management of parapharyngeal masses: review and an unusual illustrative case.

Diagnosis and management of swellings of the parapharyngeal space are difficult because of the inaccessibility of the region, which contains part of the parotid gland with major vascular and neural structures that may be subject to disease. An unusual case of a spherical mass with a calcified margin within the parapharyngeal space is presented; it illustrates an approach to diagnosis and management.