Mumps with Laryngopharyngeal Edema : a Clinical Four-Subject Review

Mumps, a common pediatric illness, most often exhibits bilateral parotid swelling, but may involve numerous complications, including laryngopharyngeal edema, which is poorly covered in the literature. From 2005 to 2009, we treated four adults for mumps-related laryngopharyngeal edema. Together with salivary gland swelling, subjects reported laryngopharyngeal discomfort such as sore throat and foreign body “presence” triggering edematous laryngopharyngeal change detected in laryngoscopy. Immediate intravenous steroid hormone administration helped prevent airway obstruction, avoiding tracheostomy. Severe dyspnea and tracheostomy have been reported. Adult mumps cases should thus prompt attention for laryngopharyngeal edema.