Tuberculous parotitis: report of 3 cases

• Published in: British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 320 - 323
• Main Author: Suleiman, A.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Londonc Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Dentistry; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Parotitis - etiology; Parotitis - microbiology; Parotitis - pathology; Tropical medicine; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Tuberculosis, Oral - etiology; Tuberculosis, Oral - pathology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - complications; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Africa; Sudan; Lung; Mycobacterial infection; Parotiditis; Microbiological investigation; Clinical biology; Bacteria; Antituberculous agent; Diagnosis; Human; Lung disease; Respiratory disease; Stomatology; Treatment efficiency; Etiopathogenesis; Exploration; Bacteriological investigation; Infection; Case study; Symptomatology; Concomitant disease; Chemotherapy; Salivary gland disease; Treatment; Tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacteriales; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Microorganism culture; Actinomycetes
• ISSN: 0266-4356; 1532-1940
• DOI: 10.1054/bjom.2001.0644

Tuberculous parotitis, particularly the diffuse form, is rare. I describe here three patients with diffuse tuberculous parotitis, two of whom presented with unilateral parotid swelling while the third had swellings of both glands. All had discharging sinuses. In two of the patients, the parotitis was associated with active pulmonary tuberculosis. In the patient with bilateral parotitis, the disease seemed to be confined to the glands. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by the finding of tubercle bacilli in the lesion or the sputum. They all responded well to standard antituberculous drugs.