Mumps — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyOral MedicineMumpsORE Part 1

A child presents with bilateral swelling of the cheeks that developed suddenly. The child has a temperature of 38.5°C and malaise. The parotid glands are tender bilaterally. The child is unvaccinated. What is the most likely diagnosis?

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Correct answer: B — Mumps (epidemic parotitis)

The diagnosis is mumps (epidemic parotitis). The clinical presentation is pathognomonic: bilateral parotid swelling, acute onset, fever (38.5°C), malaise, and bilateral tenderness in an unvaccinated child. Mumps is an acute viral illness caused by a paramyxovirus and is typically characterised by bilateral parotid swelling, often preceded by non-specific prodromal symptoms including fever and malaise. The unvaccinated status increases susceptibility and severity (bilateral parotitis is less common in twice-vaccinated individuals). Viral parotitis is fundamentally different from bacterial parotitis, which is typically unilateral and uncommon in children. Sjögren syndrome is autoimmune and chronic, not acute. Bilateral tumours presenting acutely is vanishingly rare. HIV-associated sialadenosis is bilateral but chronic and non-tender.

Reference: UKHSA Green Book on Mumps (April 2026), https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69dcf5cbd3e08b8871b6663b/UKHSA_Green_Book_on_Mumps_2_4_26__002_.pdf