Salivary trichomoniasis. A case report of infestation of a submaxillary gland by Trichomonas tenax.

A tumor was suspected after detection of an asymptomatic submaxillary swelling in an 85-year-old woman. Clinical, radiologic, and biologic investigations were fruitless. Transcutaneous needle aspiration revealed numerous trichomonads and led to the conclusion that a salivary duct was infested by Trichomonas tenax. The patient recovered following treatment with metronidazole, and there has been no recurrence after 2 years. This case sheds new light on the pathogenic properties of trichomonads. Peculiar features of this previously unreported location are discussed. Trichomonas tenax is often unrecognized by pathologists, and surely such cases are often misdiagnosed.