Benign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid: long-term surgical results

enign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid: long-term surgical results Commentary (2117) Total Article Views Authors: Steehler MK, Steehler MW, Davison SP Published Date May 2012 Volume 2012:4 Pages 81 - 86 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/HIV.S27755 Received: 29 October 2011 Accepted: 21 November 2011 Published: 28 May 2012 Matthew K Steehler,1 Mark W Steehler,2–4 Steven P Davison1,5 1Georgetown University Hospital Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgery, Washington, DC, USA; 2Lake Erie Consortium for Osteopathic Medical Training, 3Millcreek Community Hospital, 4Ear Nose and Throat Surgeons of Northwest Pennsylvania, Erie, PA, USA; 5DAVinci Plastic Surgery, Washington, DC, USA Abstract: Benign lymphoepithelial cysts are a widely recognized cause of parotid gland swelling in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These cysts are pathognomonic for HIV. The cysts frequently grow to be exceptionally large, causing physical deformity and gross asymmetry of facial contour. This clinical commentary analyzes this cosmetically deforming disease entity and the many treatments that accompany it. The patient presented in this paper is a surgical case-control. The case is a microcosm for our findings upon review of the literature. Treatment options for benign lymphoepithelial cysts include repeated fine-needle aspiration and drainage, surgery, radiotherapy, sclerotherapy, and conservative therapy, with institution of highly active antiretroviral therapy medication. Based on this surgical case-control and our review of the literature, it is concluded that surgical intervention offers the best cosmetic result for these patients.