Mycobacterial infection of the parotid gland: an unusual cause of parotid swelling

Abstract

Six cases of mycobacterial infection of the parotid gland are reviewed. All six cases presented solely with a slowly enlarging parotid swelling clinically indistinguishable from a parotid tumour. All of the swellings required surgical removal, superficial parotidectomy in four cases, and enucleation in two cases to obtain a definitive diagnosis.