Abstract :
Neonatal suppurative parotitis (NSP) is rare; fewer than 90 cases were reported before 1970[1]. A study by Spiegel et al identified only 32 cases in the English literature between 1970 and 2004[2]. Another study by Ismail et al identified 12 new cases in the English literature since 2004[3]. We are reporting another case. Most cases were male (77%) and one third of them were preterm infants[2,3]. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent offending organism. Ascending infection from the oral cavity through Stensen’s duct or, less commonly, hematogenous seeding of the parotid gland have both been implicated in the development of NSP[4]. Several risk factors for the development of NSP are recognized: dehydration, prematurity, excessive oropharyngeal suction, prolonged gavaging, ductal obstruction and immune suppression[2,3]. Typically, infants present in the second week of life with parotid gland swelling, fever and erythema in the overlying skin. Purulent material can drain spontaneously or be expressed from the Stensen’s duct.
