Pneumoparotid in "puffed cheek" computed tomography: incidence and relation to oropharyngeal conditions

Pneumoparotid is common in patients with lesions of the oral cavity who have diagnostic computed tomography (CT) with the "puffed cheek" technique. Although such observations are often noted, we could find few papers about the incidence in relation to oropharyngeal conditions. We present a retrospective series of 47/300 patients who developed pneumoparotid during multidetector CT examination of the oropharyngeal region to assess the incidence and any possible correlation with regional disease. Patients were followed up for any symptoms and also for complications. In 14 patients the pneumoparotid was right-sided, in 17 left-sided, and in 16 it was bilateral. There was a significant association between the incidence of pneumoparotid and the site of disease, it being stronger (p<0.001) with lesions in the oral cavity than with those in the oropharynx and hypopharynx. Apart from brief discomfort, none of the patients had any symptoms after the procedure. In summary, pneumoparotid developed in 47/300 (16%) of our patients after multidetector CT when the "puffed cheek" technique was used, and was more common in patients with lesions of the oral cavity and anterior tongue than among patients with lesions of the oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal regions. Few patients experienced transient fullness immediately after the procedure. None of our patients had lasting or infective symptoms.