Benign cysts of the parotid gland

Benign cysts of the parotid gland are rare. They present with equal distribution between males and females as unilateral painless swelling in the area of the parotid gland without fixation to the overlying skin or involvement of the facial nerve. These cysts can be congenital, acquired, or occasionally may arise from surrounding structures. The preoperative diagnosis is very difficult and the treatment of choice consists of superficial parotidectomy. Our 10-year experience with benign cyst of the parotid gland at Roswell Park Memorial Institute is presented in this paper.