Key Considerations for Consuming Pig Skin: Medical Insights - Surgery

Dr. Lin Hongmao reply Surgery

---

Hello: This is a case related to otolaryngology, which I am not familiar with, so I searched for some information online.
Please refer to the commonly known "pig's head skin" mumps, which is a viral infection that spreads through droplets and saliva contact, invading human glands and nervous tissue.
The most commonly affected gland is the parotid gland, leading to swelling of the entire face resembling pig's head skin.
Mumps primarily affects children, and infected children can easily transmit the virus to one another; however, once infected, they gain lifelong immunity.
The incubation period for mumps is approximately two to three weeks, affecting the salivary glands and nervous tissue, with fever, swelling, and tenderness of one or more salivary glands being the main clinical symptoms.
If the infected individual is an adult, it is important to be aware of complications such as orchitis, oophoritis, infertility, and aseptic meningitis, which can lead to serious sequelae.
Mumps can occur at any time of the year, but it is most common in winter and spring, with cases reported worldwide, showing no significant difference in incidence between genders.
Since the introduction of the mumps vaccine in 1968, the incidence of mumps has significantly decreased.
Infected patients may experience loss of appetite and general malaise, followed by inflammation and swelling of the parotid gland, pain, and difficulty chewing.
Sometimes, they may also experience fever, headache, ear pain, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
It is noteworthy that if the infected individual is an adult, they should be cautious of complications such as orchitis, oophoritis, infertility, and aseptic meningitis.
Among the various symptoms of mumps, the most characteristic is facial swelling caused by the enlargement of the parotid gland (the parotid gland), which typically starts on one side of the cheek and then progresses to the other side; sometimes both cheeks may swell simultaneously, which is why mumps is colloquially referred to as "pig's head skin." In terms of complications, orchitis, oophoritis, infertility, and aseptic meningitis are the most common and noteworthy.
Generally, if a patient experiences headache and neck stiffness ten days after the onset of the disease, one should be cautious of possible complications such as encephalitis or meningitis, as there are approximately 250 cases of meningitis for every 100,000 mumps patients, with a mortality rate of about 2%.
The sequelae of orchitis usually occur in adolescent or adult males infected with mumps, often presenting as unilateral orchitis, with about 30% experiencing bilateral involvement.
The onset is rapid, with typical symptoms including fever, chills, headache, nausea, and lower abdominal pain, lasting about four days, and it may sometimes be mistaken for appendicitis.
Local ice packs can be used to alleviate pain.
Conversely, if the infected patient is an adolescent or adult female, they may face the sequelae of oophoritis, primarily characterized by abdominal pain or palpable swelling of the ovaries; fortunately, this does not lead to infertility.
However, it is important to note that if a pregnant woman contracts mumps during the first three months of pregnancy, it may increase the risk of miscarriage, although there is currently no definitive evidence that mumps infection during pregnancy leads to congenital malformations.
Regarding the treatment of mumps, there is no specific antiviral medication; clinical management primarily focuses on symptomatic treatment, providing supportive care based on the patient's symptoms, allowing the patient's immune system to restore health.
However, some diseases have symptoms similar to mumps and require accurate diagnosis followed by antibiotic treatment.
Generally, when caring for mumps patients, certain details are worth noting, as these care measures can alleviate discomfort and assist in the patient's recovery.
1.
If a child is diagnosed with mumps, necessary isolation measures should be implemented, prohibiting the child from attending school to prevent the spread of infection to other children.
2.
Due to parotid swelling, patients may experience pain while chewing; it is advisable to substitute with soft, nutritious foods like soups or rice porridge, or to puree food into a juice-like consistency.
If chewing is not possible, high-calorie drinks can be consumed to supplement energy.
3.
Avoid fruit juices, as the citric acid can irritate the throat; instead, encourage drinking plenty of water and maintaining oral hygiene, and rinsing with saline water can help reduce discomfort.
4.
If a boy experiences testicular swelling and pain or a girl has abdominal pain, they should be taken to the hospital promptly to avoid complications such as orchitis or oophoritis.
5.
If ten days after the onset of the illness, the child's condition has not improved and continues to worsen, with symptoms such as headache and neck stiffness, one must be cautious of the life-threatening risk of meningitis.
Furthermore, the best treatment is prevention.
Currently, it is recommended that babies receive a dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine at fifteen months of age, with over 95% of individuals developing antibodies against mumps, and the effect can last for over twelve years.
Therefore, if there are babies at home who are of appropriate age for vaccination, parents should not forget to have them vaccinated! I hope this information is helpful to you.
Happy New Year! Sincerely, Lin Hong-Mao.

---

Reply Date: 2005/01/30