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Acute suppurative parotitis caused by anaerobic bacteria: report of two cases
Abstract:
Staphylococcus aureus is the predominant pathogen in acute suppurative parotitis. Although anaerobic bacteria are prevalent in the normal oral and upper respiratory tract flora and frequently are involved in oral and facial infections, they have seldom been isolated from patients with suppurative parotitis. It may be that a role for anaerobes in parotitis has not been documented because of inadequate specimen transport or anaerobic culture techniques. We describe two cases of acute suppurative parotitis in which cultures yielded anaerobic bacteria. In one case, no aerobes were isolated; in the other, the anaerobe was the predominant organism numerically.
Insights
Anaerobic bacteria, often overlooked, can cause acute suppurative parotitis. Improved culture techniques may reveal their significant role in this infection, even as the sole pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus is the primary cause of acute suppurative parotitis.
- Anaerobic bacteria are common in the oral flora but rarely identified in parotitis cases.
- Inadequate specimen handling may hinder anaerobic bacteria detection.