Bilateral parotitis revealing giant cell arteritis: A case report

We report the atypical case of giant cell arteritis (GCA) in an 88-year-old woman, whose primary symptom was parotitis. The patient presented with a three-week history of painful bilateral parotid enlargement and mild undated morning headaches that were relieved with acetaminophen, but she did not have classic GCA symptoms such as jaw claudication or scalp tenderness. Biological tests revealed biological inflammation. Parotid glands did not show any structural abnormalities. A Doppler ultrasound of the temporal arteries showed inflammation, and a positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan confirmed hypermetabolism in multiple arteries, including those supplying the parotid glands. Temporal artery biopsy confirmed GCA. The patient was treated with prednisone, leading to a rapid improvement in symptoms and inflammatory markers. This case highlights a rare presentation of GCA, where parotitis is the main symptom. GCA should be considered in elderly patients with persistent inflammation and parotitis, particularly when other common causes are ruled out. SAS. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.