First report of a lipoblastoma of the parapharyngeal space

Abstract

Lipoblastoma is a rare benign tumor that occurs primarily in children younger than 3 years of age. Fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the literature, and only eight cases have been previously reported in the head and neck; two of them occurred in the parotid region, where the differential diagnosis becomes quite extensive. We report a new case of head and neck lipoblastoma - one that occurred in the parapharyngeal space, a site that has not been previously reported. By doing so, we hope to promote awareness and consideration of lipoblastoma in the differential diagnosis of deep-parotid and parapharyngeal-space neoplasms.