Sweet Shop Sialagogues: A Sour Solution to Sialolithiasis

Historically, boiled sweets have been recommended by ear, nose, and throat surgeons for their sialagogue effect in patients with sialolithiasis. This study presents an in vivo analysis of boiled sweets and solutions to determine sialagogue superiority. Six high-street boiled sweets (lemon sherbets, rhubarb sweets, mint humbugs, Werther's Original® (August Storck, Germany), Fox's Glacier Fruits® (Fox's Confectionery, Braunstone, Leicester, United Kingdom), and Chupa Chups® lollipops (Perfetti Van Melle, Breda, Netherlands)) and two solutions (malt vinegar and lemon juice) were compared to two controls (no sweet and inert plastic) in two healthy participants. Malt vinegar and lemon juice produced the highest salivary flow. The best-performing boiled sweets were Chupa Chups lollipops and lemon sherbet. Substances with the highest concentrations of citric or lactic acid were the best sialagogues. This pilot study provides a proof of concept for further investigation in this cohort of patients.

Extremely Large Submandibular Sialolith Removal - A Case Report

The Rationale

Sialoliths are calcified organic matter that form within the secretory system of the salivary glands. They rarely measure more than 1.5 cm. Giant sialoliths are rare and defined as a size of 3.5 cm or larger.

Patient concerns

Patient complained of the pain and swelling in the right submandibular area for two years with increase in size during meals.

Diagnosis

Based on the clinical and radiological investigations.

Treatment

Sialolith measuring 39 mm and weighing 7.02 g, was removed in a minimally invasive manner through transoral sialolithotomy using diode 810 µm LASER unit under local anaesthesia.

Outcomes

Patient was relieved of the preoperative symptoms and was on follow-up for one year.

Take-Away Lessons

Various newer treatment modalities are effective alternatives to conventional surgical treatment of sialoliths. However, transoral sialolithotomy remains the mainstay of management.

Recurrent Submandibular Sialolithiasis in a Child

Sialolithiasis is a commonly encountered disease of the salivary glands, reported to represent up to 30% of all salivary gland diseases. However, the condition is rarely encountered in the pediatric population. The formation of a salivary stone is believed to be secondary to the deposition of calcium salts around a nidus. The formation of a nidus is commonly associated with desquamated epithelial or sloughing from a recent bacterial infection. Patients with submandibular sialolithiasis usually present with acute swelling over the neck associated with pain, fever, and purulent intraoral discharge. Neglected and poorly treated acute infection may progress to life-threatening abscess formation. Here we are describing our encounter with a 10-year-old boy with recurrent submandibular sialolithiasis. He was initially treated with conservative measures and antibiotics regimen. Failure of medical treatment and recurring symptoms led to submandibular gland excision followed by a full recovery.

Salivary Gland Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A 15-year Experience

Introduction  Diseases of the salivary glands are rare in children and adolescents, with the exception of viral-induced infections.

Objective  To determine the clinical course of the disease, the diagnostic procedures, the treatment and the outcome of all children and adolescents affected with salivary gland diseases at our clinic over a period of 15 years.

Methods  A retrospective chart review including a long-term follow-up was conducted among 146 children and adolescents treated for salivary gland disorders from 2002 to 2016.

Results  Diagnosing acute sialadenitis was easily managed by all doctors regardless of their specialty. The diagnosis of sialolithiasis was rapidly made only by otorhinolaryngologists, whereas diagnosing juvenile recurrent parotitis imposed difficulties to doctors of all specialties – resulting in a significant delay between the first occurrence of symptoms and the correct diagnosis. The severity-adjusted treatment yielded improvements in all cases, and a full recovery of 75% of the cases of sialolithiasis, 73% of the cases of juvenile recurrent parotitis, and 100% of the cases of acute sialadenitis.

Conclusions  Due to their low prevalence and the lack of pathognomonic symptoms, salivary gland diseases in children and adolescents are often misdiagnosed, resulting in an unnecessarily long period of suffering despite a favorable outcome following the correct treatment.

Association between cholelithiasis and sialolithiasis: Two longitudinal follow-up studies

This study aimed to evaluate the association between cholelithiasis and sialolithiasis using a national sample cohort in Korea.The Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (patients ≥20 years old) was collected from 2002 to 2013. In study I, we extracted cholelithiasis patients (n = 21,170) and 1:4 matched control I subjects (n = 84,680) and analyzed the occurrence of sialolithiasis. In study II, we extracted sialolithiasis patients (n = 761) and 1:4 matched control II subjects (n = 3044) and analyzed the occurrence of cholelithiasis. Hazard ratios (HRs) were determined using the stratified Cox proportional hazard model.The HR for sialolithiasis was 1.49 (95% CI = 0.88-2.52) in the cholelithiasis group (P = .14), and the HR for cholelithiasis was 1.18 (95% CI = 0.53-2.59) in the sialolithiasis group (P = .69).We did not find an association between cholelithiasis and sialolithiasis.

Review of the Major and Minor Salivary Glands, Part 1: Anatomy, Infectious, and Inflammatory Processes

The major and minor salivary glands of the head and neck are important structures that contribute to many of the normal physiologic processes of the aerodigestive tract. The major salivary glands are routinely included within the field of view of standard neuroimaging, and although easily identifiable, salivary pathology is relatively rare and often easy to overlook. Knowledge of the normal and abnormal imaging appearance of the salivary glands is critical for forming useful differential diagnoses, as well as initiating proper clinical workup for what are often incidental findings. The purpose of this review is to provide a succinct image-rich article illustrating relevant anatomy and pathology of the salivary glands via an extensive review of the primary literature. In Part 1, we review anatomy as well as provide an in-depth discussion of the various infectious and inflammatory processes that can affect the salivary glands.

Comparison between Sialendoscopy and Conventional Methods in the Treatment of Sialolithiasis

Background

Sialendoscopy is gaining in popularity in treating calculus disease. The delicacy of the instrument and the diameter of the salivary ducts are factors that limit the ability to achieve complete success. There is also continued speculation regarding the utility of the procedure, especially among clinicians who are masters of conventional methods like sialadenectomy and sialodochotomy.

Objective

To assess the efficacy of sialendoscopy over conventional methods in treating sialolithiasis.

Methods

A prospective case control study was conducted in a tertiary care centre; this study involved 50 patients of sialolithiasis, and it extended over a 36-month period. All had undergone treatment, either by conventional methods or interventional sialendoscopy. All patients with nonpalpable calculi smaller than 6 mm underwent interventional sialendoscopy. Failed sialendoscopies and larger nonpalpable calculi were removed through sialadenectomy. The outcome variables studied included calculus removal, postoperative symptoms, and gland preservation.

Results

The success rate in terms of calculus removal by sialendoscopy was 88%, versus 100% by sialadenectomy. The salivary gland was preserved in 88% of the cases in the sialendoscopy group. Only 12% of patients were symptomatic.

Conclusion

Sialendoscopy was effective in removing calculi of various sizes; it was definitely superior to conventional methods. Sialadenectomy should be reserved for cases either not suitable for sialendoscopy or in which there was an intervention failure.

Salivary gland calculi - contemporary methods of imaging

Sialolithiasis is the most common disorder of major salivary glands. The main site of salivary stones' formation is submandibular gland, followed by parotid and sublingual gland. The aim of this article was to present current diagnostic imaging modalities carried out in patients suspected with salivary stones on the basis of own material and review of literature.Current diagnostic imaging tools used in the imaging of salivary stones were described and illustrated in this paper. These are: conventional radiography, sialography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance sialography and sialoendoscopy.Digital subtraction sialography and ultrasonography are the methods of choice in the imaging of salivary gland calculi. Although sialography is a very old diagnostic method, still it is the best diagnostic tool in the imaging of subtle anatomy of salivary gland duct system. Digital subtraction sialography can show the exact location of salivary stone and enables imaging of salivary ducts' pathology (e.g. stenoses), which is especially important when sialoendoscopy is planned. Sialography is also used as the treatment method, i.e. interventional sialography. Nonenhanced computed tomography is recommended when multiple and tiny salivary stones are suspected. Magnetic resonance imaging is the evolving alternative diagnostic method. In this diagnostic modality there is no need for salivary ducts' cannulation and administration of contrast material. Thus magnetic resonance sialography can also be carried out in the acute sialoadenitis. In the future, sialoendoscopy may become one of the main diagnostic and treatment procedures for salivary duct disorders, especially in salivary stone cases.