Hi, everyone. I joined some years ago to find information about HPV+ OC (probable oral exposure and confirmed cervical exposure in 2005, hrHPV+ cervical lesions persisted, spread, necessitating cervical ablation in 2008).

Shortly after my last post, I relocated to Baltimore for work. I saw an ENT at Johns Hopkins who is very familiar with the HPV-OC connection. She put a scope with a camera down my throat and said everything looked fine. She recommended no treatment, no oral HPV test, and basically told me to forget about it and live my life. I took her advice with great gusto. I think I've looked in my mouth a grand total of 3 times since I last saw her in May 2010.

I later relocated back to my hometown in the south. I've been having TMJ symptoms and a few months ago, woke up in pain and locked at a 1cm opening and could barely eat. Dentist rx MRI which confirmed TMJ disc displacements bilaterally, which was already evident clinically.

MRI also showed 13mm x 9mm lesion in or near right parotid gland. Actually, radiologist 1 missed it completely maybe because the order was specific for TMJs and nothing else. Radiologist 2 said lesion in parotid gland. Radiologist 3 says lesion not in parotid gland but in lymph node.

Initially the local ENT said it was nothing and wasn't going to evaluate further, but his nurse called today and said based on his conversation with radiologist 3, he's sending me for an ultrasound.

Next up: parotid gland ultrasound within 10 days & repeat in 4 months. Local ENT says I'm much too young for HPV-OC (I'm 31). I will mention that is the same ENT I have seen since age 13 who dismissed the HPV-OC connection in 2008, but changed his tune in 2011. Oh well. At least he is aware of the connection now.

Questions: given my HPV history, is there anything else I should do in terms of testing? Is it time for a second opinion or should I just sit and wait for ultrasound results? I'm back in the hometown where the closest major medical center is 5 hours away so I'd have to plan accordingly and in advance. I'm not as up to date on the latest HPV-OC news but have there been new, more effective screening methods than scope down throat? Should I find a dentist who offers the HPV test?

Thanks so much.