Imaging of parotid anomalies in infants and children

Abstract

A wide spectrum of disorders involves the parotid glands, in infancy and childhood. Acute or chronic inflammatory/infectious diseases are predominant. The first branchial cleft anomalies are congenital lesions that typically manifest during childhood. Tumor lesions are more likely to be benign, with infantile hemangioma the most common in infancy and pleomorphic adenoma the most frequent in childhood. Malignant tumors are uncommon, with mucoepidermoid carcinoma the least rare. Infiltrative parotid diseases are rare and have some pediatric clinical specificities. These common and uncommon disorders of parotid glands during childhood and their imaging characteristics are reviewed.

Congenital Bilateral Ectopic Parotid Glands: Case Report with Literature Review

“…It is located superficial to the masseter muscle and is connected to Stensen’s duct at that level. [ 1 ] Apart from this, heterotopic locations are reported in the literature at numerous locations such as the mandible, masseter muscle, hypophysis, lymph nodes, external and middle ear, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, thyroglossal duct, lower neck, supraclavicular location, and rarely distant from the head and neck region. [ 2 7 ]…”

“…The parapharyngeal and carotid spaces are located medial to it. [ 1 ] Parotid gland is divided for surgical purposes into superficial and deep lobe based on the anatomical location of the retromandibular vein and facial nerve, which travel through the parotid parenchyma. Part of the gland located lateral to them is the superficial lobe and medial to them is the deep lobe.…”

“…Other causes of bilateral palpable cheek swellings in a neonate include hypertrophy of the masseter muscles, diffuse inflammatory pathologies, infections like parotitis, and rarely neoplastic causes. [ 1 ] We present a case of an asymptomatic 5-day-old neonate with congenitally ectopic location of bilateral parotid glands with a review of the previously reported similar cases.…”

Correction: Imaging of parotid anomalies in infants and children

“…The original article [ 1 ] mistakenly omitted arrows in some figures which have all since been restored.…”

Idiopathic Parotid Gland Abscess in a Pediatric Patient

“…Causes of parotitis are comprised of infection, inflammatory conditions, and ductal obstruction. Complications include the development of parotid abscesses, which are collections of suppuration walled off within the parotid gland around the area of original inflammation and often associated with acute bacterial parotitis [5]. Predictive clinical characteristics of parotid abscesses include subacute duration of symptoms and enlarged glands with fluctuation [6].…”