Warthin tumor: a common, benign tumor presenting as a highly suspicious mass.

Patients often present to family physicians complaining of swellings or “knots” in their neck. Many represent benign lymphadenopathy. However, especially in smokers and the elderly, this may be the initial presentation of life-threatening disease. We present a case of a worrisome neck mass in an older ex-smoker that proved to be a benign Warthin tumor. Although this is the second most common benign tumor of the parotid, neither we nor our colleagues were familiar with it. Furthermore, we could find no mention of it in the family medicine literature. The following case illustrates many of the features typical of Warthin tumor. This interesting tumor is the only benign neoplasm associated with smoking. A better understanding of this tumor could help family physicians maintain a broader initial differential diagnosis in such cases and improve their understanding of the diagnostic approach to masses in this area.