Differentiate between mumps and parotid salivary gland inflammation

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Gastroenterologist, Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has 27 years of experience in the field of gastroenterology.

Mumps is easily confused with salivary gland disease. Mumps can lead to infertility, and parotid gland inflammation alone can cause facial disfigurement.

1. What is the difference between salivary gland inflammation and mumps?

Inflammation of the salivary glands and mumps are two diseases that have symptoms in the salivary glands, most commonly in the parotid salivary glands. Both diseases have similar manifestations of parotid salivary gland inflammation, but the consequences of the two diseases are very different.
In particular, mumps can lead to infertility, while parotid gland inflammation alone can cause facial disfigurement. Therefore, parents need to clearly distinguish salivary gland inflammation and mumps for proper treatment and monitoring.
If the parotid salivary gland is inflamed due to the agent of the mumps virus, it is considered as mumps, however, the rate of parotid gland inflammation caused by the mumps virus only accounts for 24% of the total causes of the disease in the gland. this. Parotid gland inflammation and mumps are two diseases also located in the parotid gland, but the causes are different and the treatment is also different.

2. Mumps

Mumps is caused by a virus that belongs to the group of Paramyxoviruses. The disease is transmitted by the respiratory route, through aerosols of the breath, transmitted directly from sick people to healthy people. Mumps is very common, has clear epidemiological characteristics, most often occurs in the spring, especially in the period of April and May, sometimes outbreaks into epidemics in places where people gather. (kindergarten, school).

2.1. Symptoms of mumps After being exposed to the mumps virus for about 14-24 days (the incubation period can be spread), the patient has a high fever from 38-39 degrees Celsius, headache, loss of appetite. , feeling difficult to swallow, difficult to talk, pain in joints.
The parotid salivary gland is swollen, spreading to the area in front of the ear and down to the jaw. push the ear up and out, sometimes the swelling spreads to the chest causing edema in front of the sternum.
The skin in the swollen area is normal in color, not red hot and elastic. Mumps usually swells on both sides of the parotid salivary glands, sometimes only on one side, swelling on both sides compared to swelling on one side has a ratio of 6/1. The parotid gland in mumps usually enlarges gradually over about 3 days and then gradually decreases in about 1 week. If the swelling is bilateral, the 2 parotid glands may not be swollen at the same time, the 2nd gland begins to swell when the 1st gland has reduced swelling. In parallel with the lesions in the salivary glands, the mumps virus also damages the outside of the salivary glands, causing orchitis, meningitis, encephalitis, acute pancreatitis, croup, croup, interstitial pneumonia, polyarthritis or manifest in other organs such as lacrimal gland, thymus, thyroid, mammary glands, ovaries. These lesions often have atypical symptoms, often have a benign course.
2.2. What complications can mumps lead to? Orchitis: this is a common complication of puberty, rare in children under 2 years old and in adults over 40 years old. Orchitis usually occurs 1 to 2 weeks after swelling of the parotid gland. Symptoms of testicular pain are about to swell, then the testicles swell to 3-4 times larger than normal. Usually only one side swelling but can also swell on both sides, about 2 weeks the swelling goes away. After 2 months, it is possible to assess whether the testicle has atrophy or not. The rate of testicular atrophy encountered is 30-40%, if testicular atrophy on both sides, the possibility of infertility is very high. Ovarian inflammation: accounts for 7% of mumps cases in the postpubertal age group (rarely causing infertility). If mumps infection in pregnant women: the first 3 months can cause malformations, miscarriage... in the last 3 months can increase the risk of stillbirth or premature birth. 2.3. Treatment of mumps There is no specific antiviral therapy to treat mumps. Manage with supportive care and may include use of pain relievers/fever reducers such as acetaminophen. Ear discomfort can be controlled with warm or cold compresses. Orchitis can be controlled with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, orchitis support, and cold compresses.
Patients should be isolated for at least 2 weeks when infected with mumps, patients need to rest, lie still, limit movement, especially for young patients or patients who are sick during fever and swelling salivary glands (first 4-6 days). In case the patient has orchitis, it is necessary to wear underwear to lift the testicles to relieve pain. If you have mumps in your teenage years, you need to pay attention to early treatment. There is no specific antiviral therapy to treat mumps.

3. Parotid salivary gland disease pathology

Parotid gland inflammation is caused by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Parainfluenza, coxsackie... caused. Occasionally, inflammation of the parotid salivary glands is also caused by stones, which block the ducts and cause inflammation. The disease usually only causes lesions in the salivary glands, the course is benign, most of which resolve spontaneously or in some cases turn to chronic inflammation of the gland.
3.1. How does salivary gland inflammation manifest? The parotid salivary gland is enlarged, the swelling spreads around the gland, the skin in the swollen gland is red, painful, very painful when speaking and swallowing, there are inflammatory lymph nodes at the angle of the jaw or back. same ear. Fever from 38 - 39 degrees Celsius, pressing on the parotid gland area shows pus draining at the mouth of the Stenon tube.
Inflammation of the parotid salivary glands due to stones is usually unilateral, or recurrent. When patients see sour food or before each delicious meal, they will feel pain in the parotid gland, and saliva will increase in the mouth.
Inflammation of the parotid salivary glands caused by other bacteria or viruses is also usually unilateral. Disease occurs after: tonsillitis, gingivitis, decreased or lost salivary secretion after the procedure, after neuroleptic treatment or hyperthyroidism, decreased immunity, immunosuppressive drugs, necrotizing pancreatitis , bleeding... In many cases appearing after gastrointestinal surgery or after organ transplant surgery, parotid gland inflammation can occur after cat scratch disease. Parotid salivary gland inflammation is painful but tender, the skin surrounding the gland is smooth.
Acute salivary gland inflammation in children: if the mother's antibodies are defective, the newborn will have unilateral or bilateral acute parotiditis.
3.2. Is Salivitis Complications? For parotid gland inflammation alone, it usually does not cause damage beyond the salivary glands. The disease is isolated, often appearing when there is another infection in the mouth and nose and throat. The disease does not spread into an epidemic, can occur at any age and not many people at the same time.

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