Chronic parotitis
Chronic parotitis 1. Cause and Etiology Chronic parotitis is a long-standing inflammatory condition of the parotid gland , which is the largest of the major salivary glands. It results from recurrent or persistent inflammation and can lead to progressive glandular destruction and dysfunction. Etiologic Factors: Obstructive causes : Sialolithiasis (salivary stones) Ductal strictures or stenosis Mucus plugs Infectious causes : Bacterial infections (commonly Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus spp. ) Recurrent viral infections (e.g., mumps) Autoimmune diseases : Sjögren’s syndrome – chronic autoimmune lymphocytic infiltration IgG4-related disease Radiation-induced sialadenitis – after head and neck radiation therapy Idiopathic – in many cases, no clear cause is found 2. Pathophysiology The pathophysiology of chronic parotitis involves recurrent...