Measles as a rare cause of parotid swelling in childhood. Case presentation, differential diagnosis and discussion

Abstract

Unilateral parotid enlargements in children are very rare compared with their incidence in adulthood. Besides epidemic parotitis, juvenile hemangioma, a highly differentiated type of capillary hemangioma, is the most common reason for parotid enlargement in childhood. Parotid enlargement or changes in the adjacent tissue structures may also represent symptoms of systemic diseases. A very rare manifestation of a rubeola (measles) infection in its preexanthematic state in the parotid region is demonstrated in the following case presentation. The subsequent discussion will focus on a variety of differential diagnoses. In order to ensure an early therapeutic intervention, careful clinical examination, sufficient radiological diagnosis, and if necessary an additional diagnostic excision are essential to determine the exact diagnosis in uni- or bilateral parotid enlargement in childhood.