Malignant parotid salivary gland peripheral nerve sheath tumour in a twelve-year-old girl.

A case of a malignant parotid salivary gland nerve sheath tumour is reported in a 12-year-old girl who developed a right parotid mass. Initial incisional biopsy showed a tumour with a mesenchymal spindle cell appearance. Immunohistochemical studies showed positive staining of tumour cells for vimentin and focally for S-100 protein. These features together with ultrastructural evidence of basal lamina material suggested that the tumour was of nerve sheath origin. After subtotal parotidectomy the tumour metastasised to cervical lymph node and lung. There was evidence of a partial response to chemotherapy. A detailed illustrated histopathological description of the tumour is given.