PAROTID HAMARTOMA: A CASE REPORT

Parotid hamartoma is an exceptionally rare, benign, and non-neoplastic salivary gland lesion. It is composed of a disordered yet mature proliferation of tissue elements native to the parotid gland. Because of its rarity and the absence of distinctive clinical, imaging, or cytological findings, establishing a preoperative diagnosis is difficult, and the lesion is often misinterpreted as a more frequently encountered benign parotid tumor. In this report, we describe a rare case of parotid hamartoma occurring in a 17-year-old female. This report illustrates the diagnostic challenges associated with this entity and highlights the importance of including parotid hamartoma in the differential diagnosis of parotid swellings. Surgical excision serves as both a definitive diagnostic tool and a curative treatment, with favorable functional outcomes. This case is presented to reinforce awareness of this rare pathology among clinicians evaluating parotid gland lesions.