[Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of post-pubertal epidemic parotitis and its complications].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the yield of US in the study of salivary glands and other organs involved in post-pubertal mumps.


METHODS
We examined 68 patients with serologically proven post-pubertal mumps (age range 14-34 years). All patients were symptomatic, with fever and salivary gland swelling in 25 cases, marked hyperamylasemia in 32, epigastric pain in 9, unilateral scrotal swelling and/or pain in 19 cases and acute bronchitis in 1 case. All patients underwent US of salivary glands, neck lymph nodes, abdomen and scrotum with 48 hours of admission.


RESULTS
Salivary glands: Parotid and submandibular glands showed normal echotexture in all patients. The parotid glands also showed multiple hypeoechoic intraparenchymal lymph nodes which were, ovoid or rounded, with smooth margins and a central hyperechoic area, with diameter ranging 3-14 mm (mean 5.4). No intraparenchymal lymph nodes were observed in submandibular glands. Neck: All patients had enlarged submandibular lymph nodes (maximum diameter ranging 5-22 mm; mean 11 mm); swelling was always bilateral and it was symmetric in 19/68 patients (30%) versus asymmetric because of prevailing right side involvement (more numerous and bigger nodes) in the other 47/68 cases (70%). All lymph nodes showed a benign pattern, with an ovoid or elongated shape, homogeneous hypoechoic echotexture and a hyperechoic hilum. Abdomen: The pancreas showed normal volume and normal parenchymal echotexture in all patients. Liver and spleen were always normal. Testes: US showed mild unilateral hydrocele in 10 cases, hydrocele and unilateral swelling of epidymis in 5 cases, hydrocele and swelling of both epidymis and didymis with inhomogeneous echotexture because of intraparenchymal hypeoechoic areas in 2 cases. There were no US changes in 2 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
US of the salivary glands shows a specific pattern in post-pubertal mumps which has never been reported for other salivary gland diseases. In contrast US signs in other organs are not specific.
Tarantino
L
L
Servizio di Ecografia ed Ecointerventistica, Azienda Ospedaliera D. Cotugno, Napoli. assanui@infinito.it
Giorgio
A
A
De Stefano
G
G
Farella
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010309:Parotitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography