Complications of Mumps

Mumps can occasionally cause complications, especially in adults.

Complications can include:

• inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) in males who have reached puberty; this may lead to a decrease in testicular size (testicular atrophy)
• inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis) and/or breast tissue (mastitis)
• inflammation in the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• inflammation of the brain (encephalitis)
• inflammation of the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
• deafness

Neither inflammation of the testicles nor inflammation of the ovaries caused by mumps has been shown to lead to infertility.