Giant pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland: case report and review of the literature

Pleomorphic adenomas account for the majority of parotid masses, typically arising in the tail of the gland and enlarging slowly over time. The vast majority are 2 to 6 cm in size when resected. We report resection of the largest benign mixed tumor recorded in the modern English language literature. An 85-year-old reclusive woman had a 20-year history of an enlarging right periauricular mass that had begun bleeding several days prior to admission. The patient ultimately underwent resection of the mass, which measured 26 cm in diameter, weighed 6.85 kg, and proved on pathologic examination to be a benign mixed tumor without malignant degeneration. The implications of this unusual case for the management of mixed tumors are discussed, and a review of the world literature on giant pleomorphic adenomas is presented.