[Salivary gland infections or sialadenitis]

SALIVARY GLAND INFECTIONS OR SIALADENITIS. Salivary infections, or sialadenitis, affect all types of patients but are most common in elderly or dehydrated patients. Clinical signs include pain, skin erythema, gland oedema, fever and sometimes pus visible at the ostium. In the absence of doubt, no investigation is necessary apart from bacteriological sampling. Ultrasound scan should be performed if there is a doubt about the diagnosis or signs of complications. The treatment of bacterial sialadenitis is based on a probabilistic antibiotic therapy then adapted, for a duration of 10 days. The most frequent germ is Staphylococcus aureus. Rehydration is essential, especially in the elderly. The treatment of viral sialadenitis, which resolves in 8 to 15 days, is symptomatic. If the evolution is most often positive, the risk of serious complications requires a rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment.