A Case of Recurrent Parotitis with Sialolithiasis in a 14-year-old Boy

ABSTRACT

Recurrent parotitis, which is also known as juvenile recurrent parotitis, is characterized by a cyclic swelling of parotid glands associated with discomfort and/or pain in the absence of external inflammatory changes or progression to frank suppuration. It is usually accompanied by fever and malaise. Recurrent parotitis, following mumps, is the most common inflammatory salivary gland disease during childhood. Its etiology remains an enigma, but various etiologies have been suggested as causes, including infection, allergy, localized manifestations of systemic immunologic disorders, autoimmune diseases and hereditary or congenital abnormalities of salivary duct. Sialolithiasis may occur at any age. Its higher frequency is found between the 4th and 6th decade, but it is rare in the first decade. We currently experienced a 14-year-old boy with recurrent parotitis associated with sialolithiasis. One and a half year earlier this boy experienced right-sided parotid swelling, which subsided spontaneously over a few days. During the following year and a half period, he experienced three more short bouts of parotid swelling with mild pain, fever and malaise. The symptoms including swelling lasted from several days to 2 weeks and resolved spontaneously, independent of any treatment. Forty days ago diffuse swelling of his right parotid gland developed with pain and fever, which were more exacerbated during or after meals. Meanwhile, his left parotid gland also became swollen. Diagnosis for sialolithiasis was confirmed by sialographic findings showing the filling defect in the right parotid duct. We present a case of parotid parotitis with sialolithiasis in a child with a brief review of related literatures.