Virus disease of salivary gland, also known as cytomegalic inclusion disease.

bubble_chart Etiology

This disease is caused by cytomegalovirus infection. The virus can persist in the human body for a long time and is excreted through saliva or urine. The primary route of infection is contact with pestilence, and infants can be infected via the placenta. It most commonly affects the submandibular and parotid glands.

bubble_chart Pathological Changes

It is characterized by the presence of inclusion bodies in ductal epithelial cells. These cells are relatively large, with diameters reaching about 30 μm, and their nuclei are also large, measuring 10–15 μm in diameter, located at the basal part of the cell. The inclusion bodies are found either within the nucleus or on the luminal side of the cytoplasm, appearing round and mostly eosinophilic. They stain positive for acid mucopolysaccharides. Around the cells containing inclusion bodies, there is infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and monocytes. Subsequently, the cells with inclusion bodies may exhibit degeneration, detachment, and disintegration.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

It mostly occurs in infants under two years old, but can also occur in adults, though it is extremely rare. Fetuses infected via the placenta experience developmental delays and may lead to premature labor. Clinically, there are no specific symptoms or signs, but there may be noticeable hepatosplenomegaly, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, thrombocytopenic purpura, and neurological involvement. However, due to the absence of specific symptoms, the disease is often only discovered during autopsy. Reports indicate that 10–30% of stillbirths show signs of inclusion body disease in the salivary glands. In adults, the condition is associated with extreme constitutional weakness, with the most common clinical manifestations being fever, hepatoadenomegaly, and lymphocytosis. Abnormal immune responses may also occur during infection.

Relies on the detection of characteristic cells in saliva, sputum, or urine.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

There is no specific treatment; symptomatic management is provided based on the clinical symptoms that appear.