A proportion of primary squamous cell carcinomas of the parotid gland harbour high-risk human papillomavirus.

Given the established aetiological role of HR-HPV in other head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, it is likely that HR-HPV represents an oncogenic driver in the pathogenesis of more than one-third of ParSCCs. The presence of HR-HPV in ParSCC may be coupled with alterations in the PTEN-PI3K pathway. Further studies on HR-HPV and the molecular characterization of a larger number of ParSCCs are needed to determine the clinical significance of these findings.