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 [].
A 38-year-old man reported to the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery with a history of fall. He was diagnosed with left subcondylar, left angle and right parasymphysis fractures. He was thoroughly investigated and open reduction and internal fixation was done under general anesthesia.\nA mini-retromandibular approach was used for the fixation of the subcondylar and angle fracture, while parasymphysis fracture was reduced intraorally. On the seventh postoperative day, a diffuse swelling was observed in the left parotid region and on compressing the swelling; a watery, odorless discharge was seen from the sutured surgical wound [].\nA diagnosis of parotid fistula was made on the basis of history, location of swelling and clinical inspection of the discharge. The pressure dressing was applied for first four days after the aspiration along with antisialagogues and antibiotics. There was no significant decrease in the size of swelling or discharge.\nAfterwards we decided to use hot hypertonic saline injections. A 3% hypertonic saline was poured in a clean steel bowl and was heated to a temperature of 60 degree in an autoclave previously set at the required temperature. The mentioned site was prepared by scrubbing with Betadine solution. Five milliliter of this hypertonic solution was injected into the parotid through fistulous opening, followed by pressure dressing. The patient was instructed to continue same medicines. This procedure was repeated for three days. On the fourth day the patient did not show any signs of swelling or salivary leak as the fistula closed spontaneously.\nPressure dressings and use of antisialagogues cause fibrosis of the gland in 2 to 3 weeks;[] hence closure of fistula in 4 days was attributed to warm hypertonic saline injections. Follow-up was done for 5 months with no morbidity seen. The facial nerve and its branches were evaluated and were found to be normal.