Mucoepıdermoıd carcınoma of the parotıd gland mımıckıng a benıgn cystıc lesıon

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant salivary gland neoplasm. It affects both major and minor salivary glands and when major salivary glands are affected, the parotid gland is the most common. The incidence has been reported to range from 4-12% of all the parotid tumors. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of parotid gland is usually of low grade type with a marked cystic component causing considerable diagnostic difficulties. Hence cystic lesions of parotid gland should not be merely dismissed as benign entities and mucoepidermoid carcinoma should be always included in differential diagnosis. In this presentation, we report a case with initial diagnosis of benign cystic lesion based on FNAC and MRI findings which was later diagnosed histologically as low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland.