Anaesthetic mumps associated with laryngeal mask airway use - a case report

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Acute postoperative sialadenitis, also known as anesthetic mumps, is an infrequent complication associated with anesthesia.
• While typically benign, it can present with severe airway obstruction.
• The exact mechanism is multifactorial, often involving salivary gland obstruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a potential cause of recurrent acute postoperative sialadenitis in a patient experiencing the complication twice.
• To test the hypothesis that laryngeal mask airway (LMA) use was the specific trigger for anesthetic mumps in this case.

Main Methods:

• A case report of a 67-year-old female patient who experienced acute postoperative sialadenitis on two separate occasions.
• Review of previous anesthetic records to identify common factors.
• Formulation and testing of a hypothesis linking LMA use to the recurrent complication.

Main Results:

• The patient experienced acute postoperative sialadenitis following anesthesia involving laryngeal mask airway (LMA) use.
• Analysis suggested a correlation between LMA insertion and the onset of sialadenitis in this individual.
• The proposed mechanism involves patient-specific anatomy leading to salivary gland obstruction by the LMA.

Conclusions:

• Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) use may be a specific trigger for acute postoperative sialadenitis in certain patients.
• Patient anatomy might predispose individuals to salivary gland obstruction and subsequent anesthetic mumps when using LMAs.
• Further investigation into the anatomical factors contributing to this rare complication is warranted.