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Enlargement of the parotid gland
In hepatitis C, salivary glands and other oral structures are often taken along with the liver. Patients develop an increase in size and pain in the parotid gland, and other salivary glands can also be involved. Thus, patients with chronic sialadenitis should be tested for hepatitis C infections, especially if they have a high risk of the disease.
As noted above, the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C are slightly different from those we classically know. They are often unspecific and very vague in the early stage of the disease, and patients go through the chronic phase of the disease without even knowing. Then, and only when the liver is severely affected by hepatitis C, jaundice, bleeding, swelling of the liver, and edema are found. But then it might be too late to do something about it.
Thus, we do not recommend waiting for symptoms of hepatitis C. If you’re at risk of hepatitis C transmission due to blood transfusions, drug use, unprotected sex, needle pricks, or any other safety breach, you need to test for hepatitis C instead of waiting for the signs and symptoms.
References
Alberti, A., Morsica, G., Chemello, L., Cavalletto, D., Noventa, F., Pontisso, P., & Ruol, A. (1992). Hepatitis C viraemia and liver disease in symptom-free individuals with anti-HCV. The Lancet, 340(8821), 697-698.
Persico, M., Persico, E., Suozzo, R., Conte, S., de Seta, M., Coppola, L., … & Torella, R. (2000). Natural history of hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase levels. Gastroenterology, 118(4), 760-764.Luetkemeyer, A., Hare, B., Stansell, J., Tien, P. C., Charlesbois, E., Lum, P., … & Peters, M. (2006). Clinical presentation and course of acute hepatitis C infection in HIV-infected patients. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 41(1), 31.
