Mumps — MFDS Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Parotid gland
The correct answer is A, the parotid gland. Mumps is an acute viral illness classically producing painful parotitis, which may be unilateral or bilateral. The UKHSA Green Book reports parotid swelling in most symptomatic mumps infections. Although other salivary tissue can occasionally be involved, the submandibular and sublingual glands are not the characteristic primary sites. Minor salivary glands, including the serous glands of von Ebner associated with circumvallate papillae, do not produce the typical swelling seen in mumps. Recognised complications include orchitis, meningitis, pancreatitis and sensorineural hearing loss.
Reference: UK Health Security Agency. Immunisation against infectious disease (the Green Book), Chapter 23: Mumps, section ‘The disease’, 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/147975/Green-Book-Chapter-23-v2_0.pdf