Viral Parotitis

A 9 month old child presented to the ED. URTI symptoms, fever and swelling below the left ear.

The child looked well with a fullness near the left angle of the jaw. POCUS revealed a swollen parotid with a Swiss-cheese like appearance. I checked the other side for a control but it looked the same. When I pointed out the right side, the parents said that it was swelling too.

The scan confirmed clinical suspicion and ruled out an abscess that might otherwise require drainage.  With acute inflammation, expect to also see increased blood flow on doppler.