PubMed1985
Two new cases of pseudo-tumoral parotid benign lymphoepithelial lesion serve as the basis for a review of the clinical aspects of "Godwin tumour". This is a pseudo-tumoral parotid swelling of non-characteristic clinical appearance which has the radiological findings of a systemic type sialogram ("punctate marks" and diffuse parenchymatous spots). Histopathological examination shows lesions affecting the whole gland but predominant in the swollen area, sometimes surrounded by a connective tissue pseudo-capsule. These lesions are the same as those seen in Sjögren's syndrome. There are virtually no humoral immunological abnormalities such as auto-antibodies nor inflammatory laboratory abnormalities. Whilst the diagnosis of this rare condition may be considered in the presence of any isolated parotid swelling with a sialogram of systemic type, the diagnosis of a benign lymphoepithelial lesion, eliminating a lymphoma, can be made only by histopathological examination of the parotidectomy specimen. These lesions could be the pseudo-tumoral form of isolated, so-called primary, Sjögren's syndrome. Some of these isolated syndromes become more complete after several years with the appearance of auto-antibodies. Clinical, immunological and haematological surveillance of these benign lymphoepithelial lesions is thus necessary during the years following parotidectomy.