A 1-year-old girl presented with serous discharge from the right cheek since birth which increased on chewing. On examination, there was a 1 mm × 1 mm cutaneous opening over the right cheek, 2 cm lateral to the angle of the mouth along with bilateral preauricular skin tags []. Intraoral examination and duct opening of parotid and submandibular gland was normal on both sides. Sinogram with a 24G cannula showed a thin tubular tract directed posteromedially from the external opening on the cheek into the region of the Stensen's duct/parotid gland []. There was no communication with the oral cavity or mandible. Under general anesthesia, the external opening was cannulated with a 24G intravenous plastic cannula and methylene blue injected []. With circumferential fine dissection around the external opening, the fistula tract was separated from the skin and subcutaneous fat of the cheek and brought into the oral cavity. Further intraoral dissection showed the tract initially going vertically down for 2 cm then turning posteriomedially for 1 cm to finally opening into the right Stensen's duct near the lower part of the parotid gland []. The fistulous tract was transfixed and ligated at its origin in the duct and excised in toto []. At 1-year follow-up, she has a negligible scar with a good cosmetic outcome [].
An 8-month-old male child presented with salivary discharge from the right cheek since birth. On inspection, there was a 1 mm external fistulous opening, 2 cm from the angle of the mouth with ipsilateral preauricular appendage. Intraoral examination was normal. On sinogram, no obvious tract could be identified. Under general anesthesia, cannulation of external fistulous opening was extremely difficult due to its very narrow caliber. A 24G plastic cannula could be passed for only 5 mm through which methylene blue dye was injected. Similar dissection was done as in the previous case with the tract being dissected externally and transposed intraorally. Diffuse intraoral discoloration by the dye was noted and insufficient length of cannula within the duct made identification of further intraoral tract difficult and the procedure had to be abandoned. The preauricular skin tag was excised. Postoperatively, there was local edema and a small dry ulcer over the cheek []. It eventually healed with secondary intention. At 1-year follow-up, there is no external salivary discharge with good cosmetic outcome.