In today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, there is the case of a 13-year old tuba player who was found to have left facial pain and swelling. Palpation of the parotid gland produced foamy secretions from the duct. There were otherwise no signs of an infection. The only laboratory abnormality was an elevation in the serum amylase level, which could corroborate a parotid gland inflammation or injury. The computed tomography (CT) scan of the head revealed air collections in the parotid gland (image) and the patient was diagnosed with pneumoparotid. According to the article’s authors, “Pneumoparotid can arise in wind-instrument players, glassblowers, and persons in whom air under positive pressure in the oral cavity is forced into the parotid ductal system.” There goes my aspirations in glassblowing.
On a related note, the Journal had published one year ago the case of an abnormal air collection in the head, or pneumocephalus.
- Sources
- Mukundan D, Jenkins O. A tuba player with air in the parotid gland. NEJM 2009;360:710.
- Image Copyright: New England Journal of Medicine
