Gland atrophy following retrograde injection of methyl violet as a treatment in chronic obstructive parotitis

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of retrograde injection of 1% methyl violet as a treatment for chronic obstructive parotitis. Study Design. Sixteen patients with chronic obstructive parotitis were treated with retrograde injection of 1% methyl violet. Pretreatment evaluation and assessment of the treatment effect were performed by clinical and imaging methods, including sialography and sonography of the treated glands. Results. Clinical symptoms following treatment included initial acute swelling and then a decrease in parotid swellings; the final outcome was a clinical cure of the affected glands characterized by disappearance of all symptoms, absence of secretion, and complete obliteration of the main duct orifice. Posttreatment imaging showed total atrophy of the diseased glands. Conclusion. Retrograde injection of 1% methyl violet caused total atrophy of the diseased glands and brought about complete relief in all 16 patients, with no detectable side effects.