Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

A Case of Anesthesia Mumps

2007; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 104; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1213/01.ane.0000258824.59125.f8

1526-7598

Simay Serin, Şeyda Örs Kaya, Cüneyt Orhan Kara, Sevin Başer,

Pituitary Gland Disorders and Treatments

To the Editor: We report the case of a 55-year-old patient with swelling of the left parotid gland after general anesthesia (Fig. 1). He had a thoracotomy for right upper lobe resection and he was in the left lateral position during surgery. The swelling disappeared spontaneously after 48 h. Swelling of the salivary glands after general anesthesia is a rare event and has been labeled as "anesthesia mumps" (1–3).Figure 1.: The swelling at the left parotis gland postoperatively.Although the exact mechanism for development of anesthesia mumps is not fully understood, several reasons for its development have been suggested. First, straining and/or coughing during anesthesia increase pressure in the oral cavity. This combined with a loss of muscle tone around Stensen's orifice after administration of neuromuscular relaxants might facilitate retrograde passage of air into and swelling of the parotid gland (4,5). Second, the swelling might be related to retention of secretions causing a blockage of the salivary ducts. Third, dehydration may play a role in causing secretions to thicken leading to salivary-duct occlusion (3). Head positioning during the procedure may also play a role in etiology, as in our case, where the involved parotid gland was dependent during surgery. Similar to our case, anesthesia mump is usually noted in the recovery room, no treatment other than reassurance is indicated (5). However, adequate hydration and warm compresses may be helpful for relieving symptoms (3). Rapid subsidence of the swelling can be expected in 1–5 days. Simay Serin, MD Anesthesiology Department Medical Faculty of Pamukkale University Denizli, Turkey Seyda Kaya, MD Thoracic Surgery Department Medical Faculty of Pamukkale University Denizli, Turkey Cuneyt O. Kara, MD Ear, Nose and Throat Department Medical Faculty of Pamukkale University Denizli, Turkey Sevin Baser, MD Pulmonary Diseases Department Medical Faculty of Pamukkale University Denizli, Turkey [email protected]