Parotitis

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss NYC and sleep center NYC

Parotitis
Synonyms	Parotiditis
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Swelling of the parotid gland, pain in the area, fever, dry mouth
Complications	Abscess, hearing loss, facial nerve damage
Onset	Sudden or gradual
Duration	Varies, depending on cause
Types	N/A
Causes	Viral infection (e.g., mumps), bacterial infection, autoimmune disease
Risks	Dehydration, poor oral hygiene, immunosuppression
Diagnosis	Physical examination, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI
Differential diagnosis	Sialolithiasis, lymphadenopathy, tumor
Prevention	Vaccination (for mumps), good oral hygiene
Treatment	Antibiotics (if bacterial), hydration, pain management, surgery (if abscess)
Medication	Analgesics, antipyretics, antibiotics
Prognosis	Generally good with treatment
Frequency	Common in areas without mumps vaccination
Deaths	N/A

Anatomical diagram from Gray's Anatomy

Parotitis is an inflammation of one or both parotid glands, the major salivary glands located on either side of the face, in humans. The parotid gland is the salivary gland most commonly affected by inflammation.

Causes

Parotitis is most often caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Dehydration, which can occur in those who are critically ill from other causes, can cause parotitis. Other causes include local autoimmune phenomena, as in Sjögren's syndrome, and obstruction of the parotid duct, either by a salivary stone (a sialolith) or a tumor.

Symptoms

Symptoms of parotitis can include: swelling of the face, pain in the face that may be worsened by eating, fever, and a foul-tasting fluid in the mouth.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of parotitis is made on the basis of the clinical presentation, and can be confirmed by sending a sample of the fluid expressed from the parotid duct for culture.

Treatment

Treatment of parotitis is determined by the cause. If the cause is bacterial, then antibiotics are usually prescribed. If the cause is viral, then the treatment is supportive (pain control and hydration). If the cause is an obstruction, then the obstruction is usually removed.

See also

• Mumps
• Sialadenitis
• Sjögren's syndrome

References

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