Concurrent Warthin tumor and Kimura disease: a case report

Warthin tumor (WT) is a common benign salivary tumor of the parotid gland. Clinically, it occurs in men in their fifth to seventh decades who typically smoke cigarettes. WTs have been reported with different head and neck neoplasms and other salivary gland tumors within the same or another salivary gland. Kimura disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease with unknown etiology affecting young to middle-aged Asian men. KD presents as an asymptomatic nodule in the head and neck area, with regional lymphadenopathy and salivary gland involvement.

A 64-year-old Arabic man presented with a 10-year history of an asymptomatic swelling of the left face. Computed tomography showed a well-defined, multicystic mass with heterogeneous enhancement. The resected mass was composed of two distinct components. There was a well-demarcated proliferation of papillary and cystic oncocytic epithelium with lymphoid stroma, consistent with WT. Some areas exhibited sclerotic fibrosis, with multiple lymphoid follicles showing folliculolysis, follicular hyperplasia, and eosinophilic infiltrate. The patient’s immunoglobulin E level serum was elevated, confirming a coexisting KD. The patient underwent a left superficial parotidectomy, with no recurrence at a 30-month follow-up.

This report describes the first concurrent case of WT and KD in the parotid gland.