Parotitis natural history, complications and prognosis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Luke Rusowicz-Orazem, B.S.
Overview
Parotitis is a self-limited condition that will usually resolve itself without treatment. The duration of parotitis in a patient depends on the cause. Infectious parotitis, most commonly from mumps virus, will incubate for 15 to 24 days before symptoms manifest in an infected individual. Parotitis will gradually develop over 2-3 days after mumps symptoms manifest, usually remaining for 7 days. Parotitis will usually resolve itself without treatment within 10 days of manifestation. Juvenile recurrent parotitis usually manifests in children around 5 years old, but children from 3 months to 16 years old have been reported to begin experiencing symptoms as well. Parotitis occurrences usually last between 3 and 7 days, rarely persisting for up to 2-3 weeks at a time. Recurrent parotitis is usually self-limited, usually subsiding between the ages 10-15 and resolved by age 22. More severe cases may not resolve themselves and require more intensive intervention, such as parotidectomy. An abscess of the parotid gland is a complication of infectious parotitis. Prognosis is good, with the majority of parotitis patients recovering fully with or without symptomatic treatment due to the self-limited nature of the disease.
Natural History
Viral Parotitis
- Mumps, the viral cause for parotitis, will incubate for 15 to 24 days before symptoms manifest in an infected individual.[1]
- Parotitis will gradually develop over 2-3 days after mumps symptoms manifest, usually remaining for 7 days.[1]
- Parotitis will usually resolve itself without treatment within 10 days of manifestation.[2]
Recurrent parotitis
- Juvenile recurrent parotitis usually manifests in children around 5 years old, but children from 3 months to 16 years old have been reported to begin experiencing symptoms as well.[3]
- Parotitis occurrences usually last between 3 and 7 days, rarely persisting for up to 2-3 weeks at a time.[3]
- Recurrent parotitis is usually self-limited, usually subsiding between the ages 10-15 and resolved by age 22.[3][4]
- More severe cases may not resolve themselves and require more intensive intervention, such as parotidectomy.[5]
Complications
- Complications from parotitis arise from infectious causes, such as viral or bacterial parotitis:
- Parotid abscess: Parotitis resulting from infectious causes can result in abscess formation in the parotid gland.[6]
Prognosis
- Prognosis is good, with the majority of parotitis patients recovering fully with or without symptomatic treatment due to the self-limited nature of the disease.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hviid A, Rubin S, Mühlemann K (2008). “Mumps”. Lancet. 371 (9616): 932–44. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60419-5. PMID 18342688.
- ↑ “Salivary gland infections: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia”.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Nahlieli O, Shacham R, Shlesinger M, Eliav E (2004). “Juvenile recurrent parotitis: a new method of diagnosis and treatment”. Pediatrics. 114 (1): 9–12. PMID 15231901.
- ↑ Chitre VV, Premchandra DJ (1997). “Recurrent parotitis”. Arch. Dis. Child. 77 (4): 359–63. PMC 1717350. PMID 9389246.
- ↑ Watkin GT, Hobsley M (1986). “Natural history of patients with recurrent parotitis and punctate sialectasis”. Br J Surg. 73 (9): 745–8. PMID 3756441.
- ↑ Srirompotong S, Saeng-Sa-Ard S (2004). “Acute suppurative parotitis”. J Med Assoc Thai. 87 (6): 694–6. PMID 15279351.
- ↑ Baszis K, Toib D, Cooper M, French A, White A (2012). “Recurrent parotitis as a presentation of primary pediatric Sjögren syndrome”. Pediatrics. 129 (1): e179–82. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0716. PMID 22184654.
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