Kimura's disease of the parapharyngeal space

Abstract

Kimura's disease is a fairly uncommon inflammatory condition of unknown etiology. It classically presents in young Asian males as tumorlike subcutaneous nodules in the head and neck with associated lymphadenopathy, peripheral eosinophilia, and an elevated serum lgE level. Kimura's disease affects the subcutaneous tissues, salivary glands, and lymph nodes; less common sites in the head and neck include the eyelid and tympanic membrane. We report a case of Kimura's disease of the parapharyngeal space in a 42-year-old Chinese woman. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Kimura's disease at this site.