[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.
Servizio di Ecografia ed Ecointerventistica, Azienda Ospedaliera D. Cotugno, Napoli. assanui@infinito.it
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L
Tarantino
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Giorgio
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De Stefano
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Farella
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