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A downward spread in acute parotitis

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Aichi-Gakuin University School of Dentistry, 2-11 Suemori-Dori, Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya 464-8651, Japan; ² First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aichi-Gakuin University School of Dentistry, 2-11 Suemori-Dori, Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya 464-8651, Japan; ³ Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aichi-Gakuin University School of Dentistry, 2-11 Suemori-Dori, Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya 464-8651, Japan

*Correspondence to: Masahiro Izumi, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Aichi-Gakuin University School of Dentistry, 2-11 Suemori-Dori, Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya 464-8651, Japan; Email: izumim{at}dpc.aichi-gakuin.ac.jp

Received 24 August 2004; revised 9 November 2004; accepted 14 November 2004

Acute parotitis occasionally spreads rapidly down the neck with severe symptoms of swelling and pain. However, the inflammatory course of parotitis with extraglandular spread has seldom been described. On CT images, we have noticed a unique area just below the parotid gland that is surrounded by the platysma muscle and the superficial layer of the deep cervical fascia (DCF). In this case report, we describe the CT imaging features of acute parotitis, focusing on this area.

Keywords: parotitis; CT; space; parotid gland