Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare chronic systemic inflammatory pathology that poses a diagnostic challenge since it can simulate malignancy when it affects a salivary gland as a mass-like lesion. Here, the authors report an unusual clinical case of a 42-year-old man who presented with a painless, slow-growing swelling located in the right parotid gland with a 12-month evolution. Based on imaging tests and open biopsy, a diagnosis of chronic parotitis was presumed and oral methylprednisolone was prescribed. Due to poor response to medication, a total parotidectomy preserving the facial nerve was performed. The final pathology described a unilateral IgG4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS) in the parotid gland in combination with a poorly differentiated multifocal ductal carcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful except for a temporary facial paresis (grade III according to the House-Brackmann classification system) that resolved completely within 5 months. There were no systemic manifestations on the whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered without complications. Twenty-four months follow-up after surgery showed no recurrence or evidence of systemic involvement. This clinical report highlights the importance of considering the synchronous occurrence of a carcinoma underlying an isolated parotid gland mass in the context of IgG4-RS, especially if there is no response to prior steroid medication.
Keywords: IgG4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS); Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD); case report; head and neck; parotid gland; salivary duct carcinoma.
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