Inflammatory swellings of the head and neck

By and large, inflammatory swellings of the head and neck are likely to have one of three aetiologies: infective, autoimmune or allergic, with infective causes being the most commonly encountered. By considering pathologies under these headings for the corresponding site of inflammatory swelling, a clinical diagnosis can usually be obtained particularly when the chronicity of the swelling is taken into consideration. These inflammatory swellings, when acute, can quickly become life-threatening in which case a rapid clinical diagnosis is vital. In this article we revise the pathophysiology of inflammation before considering specific pathologies affecting various anatomical sites of the head and neck including the face, the orbit/forehead, the oral cavity, the neck, the parotid gland and the thyroid gland. The management of these conditions is discussed and other miscellaneous inflammatory swellings are also considered.