We report a case of suspected reinfection with the mumps virus in an elderly patient which resulted in temporary closure of an inpatient ward. A 65-year-old man with colorectal cancer was admitted to the digestive surgery ward at our hospital to undergo a stoma closure operation. He was subsequently referred to our department with right swelling in the preauricular region on postoperative day 4. The swelling subsided within a few days, and the patient was discharged. A serum titer test revealed a high level of antibodies to the mumps virus, however. Therefore, staff who had come into close contact with the patient were examined and the decision taken to stop admitting new patients to the ward. When symptoms are detected in a patient has already had mumps, it is important to consider the possibility of reinfection. Furthermore, it is necessary for medical workers to undergo a serum antibody test to the mumps virus and receive a further vaccination if antibody levels are too low to confer immunity.

Many cases of immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) involve swelling of the salivary glands, often affecting the parotid and submandibular glands in the head and neck region, in addition to the lacrimal glands. Cases of IgG4-RD characterized by swelling of the palatal glands, however, are extremely rare. Here, we describe a case of IgG4-RD involving bilateral swelling of the palatal glands. An 83-year-old man presented at our hospital with bilateral swelling of the lacrimal and submandibular glands. A solid bilateral swelling of normal colour and unclear boundaries was observed in the hard palate. The lesion was diagnosed as IgG4-RD and steroid therapy initiated. A subsequent decrease in swelling of the palatal, lacrimal, and submandibular glands was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. These results indicate that dentists should suspect IgG4-RD in patients presenting with bilateral swelling of the palatal glands.