ABSTRACT
The parotid gland is subject to acute ascending bacterial infection from the oral cavity. Provided the infection is controlled with antibiotics, the gland will usually make a complete functional recovery. In a few cases, the gland becomes chronically infected with recurrent acute flare-ups leading ultimately to sialectasis and duct changes. Chronic infection is particularly common when salivary flow rates are reduced, such as in Sjogren’s syndrome or following radiotherapy. In this situation, it is best to remove the superficial lobe of the parotid and to tie off the main duct as far distally as possible. It is not usually necessary to remove the deep lobe, which accounts for only 20 per cent of parotid mass, as this undergoes spontaneous atrophy following superficial lobectomy and duct tie.
