Parotitis CT or MRI

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Luke Rusowicz-Orazem, B.S.

CT Findings in Parotitis are dependent on the cause. They can include salivary duct stones, parotid gland swelling, malignant or benign neoplasia, markers of inflammation, parotid gland abscess, and lymphadenopathy. MRI images of parotitis reveal an enlarged parotid gland. The T2 signal is usually high for acute parotitis, but can vary between low-intermediate for recurrent parotitis depending on presence of fibrosis.

• Parotitis patients may present the following CT-scan findings:
  • Sialolithiasis: salivary calculus may be found in the parotid gland, causing parotitis.^[2]
  • Unilateral or bilateral parotid gland swelling.
  • Malignant or benign neoplasia in the parotid gland.
  • Markers of parotid gland inflammation.
  • Parotid gland abscess, resulting in parotitis.
  • Lymphadenopathy from infectious causes of parotitis.

• Parotitis MRI findings are based on visible enlargement of the parotid gland^{_Radiology_Reference_Article_|_Radiopaedia.org-3|[3]}
• The following signal characteristics are present in MRI images of parotitis:^[4]
  • T2:
    • Acute parotitis: high signal
    • Recurrent parotitis: low-to-intermediate signal due to the possibility of fibrosis

• 
  CT of the neck demonstrating an enlarged left parotid gland with inflammatory changes of the subcutaneous soft tissues consistent with parotitis.. From Radiopaedia Image Library. ^[5]
• 
  The left parotid gland is diffusely and moderately enlarged with adjacent fat stranding extending to buccal space.From Radiopaedia Image Library. ^[5]
• 
  Severe enlargement of left parotid is seen with marked dilatation of Stensen’s duct due to distal stone (22 mm). Fat stranding is also seen around the parotid. From Radiopaedia Image Library. ^[5]

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