Pediatric dermoid cyst of the parotid: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract Parotid dermoid cysts are rare occurrences, particularly in pediatric patients, and can present a diagnostic challenge. We add to the cohort of published cases a 17-year-old patient with a 3.8 cm dermoid cyst of the left superficial parotid gland who was successfully treated. Our report contributes to the discussion of diagnostic evaluation and treatment of a parotid gland dermoid cyst. Standard treatment advocates for complete surgical excision given the low but known risk of malignant transformation of head and neck dermoid cysts; however, sacrificing complete excision in order to minimize the morbidity of facial nerve injury should be considered.