Primary Parotid Tuberculosis in a Toddler

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) of the parotid gland is a rare disease and occurs less frequently in children. Re-emergence is seen amongst immunocompromised individuals whose diagnosis may be overlooked, leading to unnecessary surgery. Diagnosis is challenging in the absence of systemic constitutional symptoms and depends mainly on the treating physician having a strong suspicion. We report a rare extrapulmonary manifestation of TB involving the parotid gland in an otherwise immunocompetent child. A 2-year-old girl presented with a mass in the right parotid region that had been present for 3 months. A similar swelling was treated with an antibiotic 3 months prior, but it recurred. The mass was painful, firm, erythematous, and located in the infra-auricular region. Symptoms persisted after 2 courses of antibiotics, after which ultrasonography was performed and the intra-parotid collection was aspirated, which was positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). The patient was placed on anti-TB treatments. Although uncommon, TB should be considered in patients with a solitary mass in the parotid gland to avoid unnecessary surgery.