Etiology of a rare intraglandular foreign body in the parotid gland: Vegetable nidus

Abstract

Foreign bodies observed in the parotid gland generally origins from trauma. These foreign bodies are commonly solid structures such as metal, stone, and glass, but foreign body compatible with plant histomorphology is a rare condition. In this study, we present the diagnosis and treatment methods that we applied to this clinical entity, which is very rare in the literature. A 44-year-old female patient who applied to our clinic with a mass on her left cheek that developed in the past 3 months was evaluated. The patient underwent foreign body excision from the parotid gland. On the patient who had a stricture in the Stensen duct during intraoperative exploration, the duct was dilated, and the patient was followed up. Foreign body with vegetative morphology, which settles into the parotid gland by retrograde migration, is a very rare condition. The importance of being aware of possible complications, and a meticulous surgical approach should also be taken into consideration.