Synchronous Bilateral Melanoma Metastasis to Parotid Glands: A Case Report

Distant metastasis is a notorious feature of melanoma. Although rare, the parotid gland may be prone to melanoma metastasis owing to its lymphatic drainage. Incidence of melanoma increases with age; in fact, it is extremely rare for melanoma to occur in individuals younger than 20 years. It is important to be aware of the causes of parotid mass, which can a be source of metastatic melanoma from the skin of head and neck.

In the present case report, we report on a 19-year-old female with a history of a previously resected melanocytic nevus of the scalp with slowly-growing bilateral synchronous parotid masses, found to be metastatic melanomas of both parotid glands. The patient underwent superficial and deep right parotidectomy followed by left total parotidectomy along with lymph node dissection of the cervical chain at both sides. No evidence of tumor recurrence was detected during the 18-month follow-up.

Metastatic melanoma should not be dismissed as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with bilateral synchronous, slowly-growing masses of parotid glands in young adults.