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Parotid swelling during human immunodeficiency virus infection
R Colebunders1, H Francis, J M Mann
1Project Syndrome d'ImmunoDeficit Acquit, Department of Public Health, Kinshasa, Zaire.
Archives of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery
|March 1, 1988
Summary
Chronic parotid gland swelling was observed in HIV-seropositive adults in Zaire, unlike in Europe or the US. Further research is needed to confirm this association in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Oncology
- Virology
Background:
- Bilateral parotid gland swelling is a known indicator of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children in Europe and the United States.
- This association has not been previously documented in adult HIV patients.
Observation:
- A nine-month study in Kinshasa, Zaire, identified chronic parotid gland swelling in nine HIV-seropositive adult patients.
- The swelling was predominantly bilateral (78%) and often painful (78%).
- Biopsies revealed malignant lymphoma in one patient and minor inflammation in another.
Findings:
- None of the 284 adults and 40 children with symptomatic HIV infection exhibited chronic parotid gland enlargement.
- However, two adult patients (0.7%) presented with acute pyogenic parotitis.
Implications:
- The findings suggest a potential, yet unconfirmed, association between parotid gland enlargement and HIV infection in adults.
- Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the relationship between salivary gland disorders and HIV in adults.
- This research may inform diagnostic approaches for HIV-related complications in adults.