Gunshot injuries to the parotid gland: Patterns of injury and primary management.

We have treated 16 patients with gunshot injuries to the cheek, 10 of whom had damage to the parotid. There were nine men and one woman, mean age 40 (range 15-65). All injuries were high velocity, and eight had other injuries. We followed them up for a month; three patients required further operation, three had facial palsy, and one lost his hearing on that side.