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Pneumoparotid: a rare cause of parotid swelling in a 7-year-old child. Problems/objectives: Pneumoparotid is a rare condition in which air is insufflated through Stensen’s duct into the parotid gland. This causes mostly painless swelling in the parotid region.
Case report: We report on a 7-year old girl presenting with painless unilateral swelling of the left parotid region, present for one month. Computer tomography showed the presence of air in the left parotid gland and in both the left and right Stensen’s duct. A thorough history revealed the girl was insufflating the parotid glands intentionally as a response to stress. The patient was comforted and instructed to avoid insufflation manoeuvres, which resulted in complete resolution.
Conclusion: Pneumoparotid should be considered part of a differential diagnosis in children and adolescents presenting with painless uni- or bilateral swelling of the parotid gland. Supportive and conservative treatment is advocated.