Parotid Gland Swelling Leading to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Diagnosis

Abstract

The following case represents an unusual presentation of an HIV infection. A 32-year-old Comorian man without past medical history presented to the head-and-neck surgery clinic in May 2014 with a bilateral parotid gland swelling. This swelling had developed progressively since 2011. It was located in both parotid areas and was heterogeneous, polycystic, with no increase of volume during meals (Figure 1). Clinically, the parotid glands were soft, with no sign of infection; there was no facial nerve palsy, and the saliva was normal. The patient did not take any medication.

Parotid Tuberculosis as the Presenting Manifestation of Disseminated Disease in an Otherwise Asymptomatic HIV Patient

“…The usual presentation involves swelling of the parotid glands, xerostomia, and other constitutional symptoms. However, more often these are due to benign conditions like benign lymphoepithelial cysts (BLEC) [ 2 ]. It becomes imperative to clinically identify parotid tuberculosis in the setting of parotid swelling, as the response to medical therapy is excellent and surgical management is rarely required.…”