A case of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the parotid gland.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the salivary glands are rare. Most of these tumors occur in the parotid gland. The most common subtype is extranodal B-cell lymphoma, which arises from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. A 63-year-old-woman with a painless swelling in the right parotid gland was examined with magnetic resonance imaging and fine-needle aspiration cytology. The mass was excised via superficial parotidectomy. Histological examination revealed a low-grade B-cell lymphoma originating from the lymphoid tissue associated with malignant mucosa. Lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients having a mass in the parotid gland and a systemic or autoimmune disease.