From the Guidelines
Yes, cervical swelling can be related to mumps (infectious parotitis), as the parotid glands, which are located in the neck and jaw area, can become swollen due to the infection. Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects the parotid glands, causing noticeable swelling in the neck and jaw area 1. This swelling typically begins on one side before potentially affecting both sides, and is often accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and decreased appetite.
Key Points to Consider
- Mumps is highly contagious and spreads through respiratory droplets or direct contact with an infected person.
- Treatment is supportive and includes rest, adequate fluid intake, soft foods that don't require much chewing, over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen (avoiding aspirin in children), and applying warm or cold compresses to the swollen area 1.
- If you suspect mumps, it's essential to seek medical attention for proper diagnosis and to prevent spreading the infection to others.
- Mumps can be prevented through vaccination with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is typically given to children in two doses 1.
Diagnosis and Prevention
- Diagnosis of mumps can be supported by a positive serologic test for antimumps IgM antibodies and/or seroconversion or a 4-fold rise of mumps IgG antibody levels between acute and convalescent phase sera 1.
- Ideally, acute phase sera should be collected immediately upon suspicion of mumps virus infection and/or symptom onset and convalescent sera collected approximately 5–10 days thereafter 1.
- The preferred specimen source for culture and/or NAAT is an oral or buccal swab around the affected parotid gland and Stensen duct 1.