Infiltrating lipoma of the cervical and parotid area: report of a case

ABSTRACT

The lipoma is the neoplasm of mesenchymal origin. Although most lipomas occur on the trunk and the proximal portion of the extremities, lipomas of the oral and maxillofacial regions are relatively rare, approximately 13% of all cases. Lipomas have been found in all age, but usually found between 40 and 60 years of age. Clinically the lipoma is a painless, slowly growing, nearly always benign soft mass. The treatment of choice is a surgical excision, and the recurrence is rare. But the infiltrating lipoma originated from muscle has high recurrence rate. It has ill-defined border and little or no evidence of encapsulation. Histologically there is a consistent infiltration with dissociation of the surrounding muscle fiber. The infiltrating lipoma should be excised with surrounding normal muscle and tissue to prevent the recurrence. This case was a 57-year-old female with a painless swelling of the right cervical and parotid areas which was diagnosed as large infiltrating lipoma by clinical examination and radiographic findings. The patient was treated by surgical excision and showed good functional and esthetic results. Histologically the tumor was diagnosed as infiltrating lipoma with no evidence of malignancy.