Juvenile Recurrent Parotitis: An Eight-Year-Old Boy With a Painful Acute Right-Sided Parotid Swelling

Abstract

Juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP) is a rare recurrent non-obstructive inflammatory swelling of the parotid gland occurring most commonly in children aged three to six years. JRP is usually idiopathic and presents as a painful swelling recurring on either side of the face at least twice within six months. We report the case of an eight-year-old Saudi boy with a painful acute right-sided parotid swelling and a history of similar occurrences bilaterally at least four times a year for two years. The routine laboratory investigations were unremarkable. Ultrasonography of the parotid glands suggested parotitis with cervical lymphadenopathy. He was treated conservatively and remained asymptomatic for a year. Although rare, an accurate diagnosis of JRP is possible with adequate history, physical examination, and lab investigations, supplemented with radiographic findings.

Keywords: lymphadenopathy; parotid gland; parotitis; saudi arabia; ultrasonography.

Figure 1. Clinical photograph of an eight-year-old boy with right-sided facial swelling. A hypertrophic scar was noticed post extraoral incision and drainage.

Figure 2. CT scan with contrast of the head and neck showing right parotitis with adjacent soft tissue edema and reactive lymphadenopathy (*)

Figure 3. MRI of the patient reviling a right acute-on-chronic parotiditis (*) and chronic left parotiditis with mild atrophic changes (^)

Figure 4. Clinical photograph six months after the initial presentation.