Positive Effects of Local Botulinum Toxin Injection and Colchicine for Complicated Chronic Recurrent Parotitis: A Case Report

Chronic recurrent parotitis (CRP) is a rare affliction of unknown cause characterized by recurrent episodes of unilateral or bilateral nonobstructive and nonsuppurative inflammation of the parotid glands. Management of CRP is not standardized, and attempts at treatment often fail. We report a case of a 29-year-old female patient with CRP for 13 years, with recurrent acute episodes, complicated with a collection and cutaneous fistula, refractory to repeated courses of corticosteroids and antibiotics. Injections of botulinum toxin in the parotid gland and maintenance treatment with oral colchicine lead to a rapid and sustained improvement. Local botulinum toxin injections associated with colchicine might represent a safe and noninvasive treatment of CRP. The possible beneficial effect of colchicine could be an argument for auto-inflammatory participation in the pathogenesis of CRP.