A Novel Approach in the Treatment of a Posttraumatic Sialocele

T he anatomic location of the parotid gland makes its parenchyma and duct particularly prone to injury during trauma cases. Failure to identify and treat injuries to the parotid duct may result in late complications such as sialoceles that increase patient morbidity and discomfort. Initial management of sialoceles typically involves a conservative approach, although more aggressive techniques may be employed if the initial treatment fails. We present a case of 47-year-old female patient who developed a left parotid sialocele several days after receiving a penetrating injury to the left parotid region. We drained the sialocele intraorally using a 16-gauge angiocatheter that was left sutured in place to create a controlled intraoral drainage pathway.