Iodine-125 brachytherapy for the treatment of a large parotid epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma in a child

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC) in the salivary glands is rare. Tumours originating from salivary glands are also rare in children. Radical resection is the main treatment used for EMC in salivary glands. However, this surgery is commonly associated with functional and/or cosmetic deficits. There is also a high percentage of local recurrence after a tumourectomy. We present a typical case of recurrent EMC in the left parotid gland of an 8-year-old girl. The patient was treated with iodine-125 brachytherapy. At the 2-month follow-up, the tumour size was reduced by 80%, and at 1 year, no tumour tissue was detected on positron emission tomography/computed tomography. At the 6-year follow-up, no local recurrence or distant metastasis was found and no complications had occurred. Iodine-125 brachytherapy is a potentially appropriate alternative treatment for EMC in the salivary glands, especially for paediatric patients.