Differential diagnoses of elevated lesions of the upper lip: An overview.

This paper comes with a purpose to help the clinician as how to arrive at a logical differential diagnosis when an upper lip mass is encountered in day-to-day practice. The labial mucosa is commonly traumatized. One must be aware of the type of structures contained in the mucosa of the area of a lesion as well as the patients habits since they may relate to a lesion presented for diagnosis. It also helps them to procure a sound knowledge of the lesions by describing the lesions according to their clinical appearance and to aid the clinician in arriving at a differential diagnosis by considering that certain lesions have a predilection for the upper lip. All clinically similar appearing lesions are discussed according to their relative frequency of occurrence. This paper covers only a minority of plethora of elevated lesions that may appear on the upper lip since almost any soft tissue lesion or neoplasm (benign and malignant) may occur here.

Sialendoscopy for salivary stones: principles, technical skills and therapeutic experience.

Obstructive sialadenitis is the most common non-neoplastic disease of the salivary glands, and sialendoscopy is increasingly used in both diagnosis and treatment, associated in selected cases with endoscopic laser lithotripsy. Sialendoscopy is also used for combined minimally invasive external and endoscopic approaches in patients with larger and proximal stones that would require excessively long laser procedures. The present paper reports on the technical experience from the Ear, Nose and Throat Unit of the Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital of Bologna, and from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the University Hospital of Cagliari, Italy, including the retrospective analysis of the endoscopic and endoscopic assisted procedures performed on 48 patients (26 females and 22 males; median age 45.3; range 8-83 years) treated for chronic obstructive sialadenitis at the University Hospital of Cagliari from November 2010 to April 2016. The results from the Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital of Bologna have been previously published. The technical aspects of sialendoscopy are carefully described. The retrospective analysis of the University Hospital of Cagliari shows that the disease was unilateral in 40 patients and bilateral in 8; a total of 56 major salivary glands were treated (22 submandibular glands and 34 parotids). Five patients underwent bilateral sialendoscopy for juvenile recurrent parotitis. 10 patients were treated for non-lithiasic obstructive disease. In 33 patients (68.75%) the obstruction was caused by salivary stones (bilateral parotid lithiasis in 1 case). Only 8 patients needed a sialectomy (5 submandibular glands and 3 parotids). The conservative approach to obstructive sialadenitis is feasible and can be performed either purely endoscopically or in a combined modality, with a high percentage of success. The procedure must be performed with dedicated instrumentation by a skilled surgeon after proper training since minor to major complications can be encountered. Sialectomy should be the "extrema ratio" after failure of a conservative approach.

Management of obstructive salivary disorders by sialendoscopy: a systematic review.

Our aim was to assess the effectiveness and safety of sialendoscopy as a diagnostic and therapeutic technique in the management of obstructive salivary disorders. We searched the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, The Cochrane Library, and the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (up to April 2014). References from the studies included and from review articles were scanned. A study was eligible for inclusion if it was a fully published peer-reviewed report with original data, if participants included adult patients with obstructive disease of the major salivary glands, if the outcome variables gave information about the success rates of the procedure in terms of freedom from symptoms and absence of residual obstruction, and if the paper was published in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish. The data were extracted and summarised in tables of evidence. We report weighted pooled proportions, 95% CI, and test results for heterogeneity. The weighted pooled proportion of success rates of the obstruction's resolution was 76% (95% CI 71 to 82) for 40 studies involving 2654 patients undergoing sialendoscopy alone, and 91% (95% CI 88 to 94) for the 23 studies and 1480 procedures made with sialendoscopy and a combined surgical approach. In general, few complications were reported and the rate of sialadenectomy was low (4.6%). This systematic review suggests that sialendoscopy is effective and safe for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with obstructive salivary gland disease.

Submandibular ductal fistula: an obstacle to sialendoscopy.

IMPORTANCE: Submandibular fistula is a rare condition that presents diagnostic and treatment challenges. Accurate diagnosis may be achieved by means of thorough physical examination, proper imaging, and usually surgical exploration. We describe the clinical significance of aberrant submandibular ductal fistula or ostium and discuss our dilemmas during sialendoscopy in 2 patients with repeated submandibular glandular swelling. OBSERVATIONS: Two patients had submandibular ductal abnormalities. The first patient was found to have the ostium of the submandibular duct in an unusual anatomical location at the posterior floor of the mouth, which was identified during surgical exploration of the floor of the mouth. The second patient was found to have a submandibular ductal fistula into the floor of the mouth proximal to a calculus in the main duct (which was severely atrophic and could not be cannulated). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The precise etiology and pathogenesis of sialo-oral fistula formation are currently unknown but could be extrapolated from previously described syndromes involving ductal obstruction and inciting damage in other regions of the body. Consideration of submandibular fistula in the differential diagnosis may spare the patient morbidity of redundant invasive procedures.

Salivary stones: symptoms, aetiology, biochemical composition and treatment.

Salivary stones, also known as sialoliths, are calcified concrements in the salivary glands. Sialoliths are more frequently located in the submandibular gland (84%), than in the parotid gland (13%). The majority of the submandibular stones are located in Wharton's duct (90%), whereas parotid stones are more often located in the gland itself. Salivary stones consist of an amorphous mineralised nucleus, surrounded by concentric laminated layers of organic and inorganic substances. The organic components of salivary stones include collagen, glycoproteins, amino acids and carbohydrates. The major inorganic components are hydroxyapatite, carbonate apatite, whitlockite and brushite. The management of salivary stones is focused on removing the salivary stones and preservation of salivary gland function which depends on the size and location of the stone. Conservative management of salivary stones consists of salivary gland massage and the use of sialogogues. Other therapeutic options include removal of the stone or in some cases surgical removal of the whole salivary gland.

Sialoendoscopy in the management of salivary gland disorders--4 years experience.

Sialoendoscopy is a minimally invasive technique used in the diagnosis and management of salivary gland disorders with promising success rates. Our objective is to describe our experience in sialoendoscopy, outlining our technique, success rates and complications, and to compare our data to those reported in the literature. A retrospective review and data analysis of all sialoendoscopic procedures performed by our service between 2006 and 2010 was performed. 41 patients were identified. 4 (9.7%) patients had normal findings, 2 (4.8%) had anatomical variants, 4 (9.7%) had benign strictures, 11 (26.8%) had mucinous debris and 20 (48%) had obstructing stones. Stone removal was successful in 19 (95%) of the 20 cases and symptomatic relief was achieved in 34 (83%) cases. In our experience a single interventional modality was used, despite that our success rates are similar to those reported in the literature where multiple therapeutic modalities were used.

Magnetic resonance imaging sialolithography: direct visualization of calculi in the submandibular gland using susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) at 3 Tesla.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sialolithography is a useful technique for evaluating acute and chronic sialadenitis. However, its major weakness is that stones are not imaged directly. We have developed an MRI technique that allows specific identification and localization of calculi within the submandibular salivary gland or duct. This test is noninvasive and does not require ionizing radiation or a sialogogue. By using 3-dimensional susceptibility-weighted imaging, one can probe MRI signal phase changes. Corrected positive filtered phase and magnitude images, acquired using susceptibility-weighted imaging, allowed identification and anatomical localization of calcified calculi in the submandibular gland with efficacy comparable to computed tomography.

Salivary gland disease.

Salivary gland disease covers a wide range of pathological entities, including salivary gland-specific disease, as well as manifestations of systemic diseases. This chapter discusses the recent advances in managing obstructive salivary gland disease, the move from gland excision to gland preservation, the dilemmas in diagnosing and managing tumours of the salivary glands, and the international data collection to understand the aetiology and progression of Sjögren's disease.

Selective management of obstructive submandibular sialadenitis.

UNLABELLED: We aimed to describe the effect of our surgical and sialoendoscopic technique for diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis. METHODS: Between January 2004 and June 2006, 68 patients presented with obstructive symptoms and were diagnosed and treated by interventional sialoendoscopy or excision. The patients all had radiographs and then, if the sialolith could not be found, diagnostic sialoendoscopy. The obstruction was treated by operation or interventional sialoendoscopy depending on the size, shape, site, and quality of the sialolith. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients had sialoliths shown radiographically, and the features of 19 were found endoscopically and were of three types: radiolucent (n=6), in the branch (n=3), mucus plug (n=3), and stenotic (n=7). Twenty-seven obstructions were successfully removed surgically, giving a success rate of 27/31 (87%). Twenty-seven patients were treated by interventional sialoendoscopy, and in 22 cases the sialoliths were removed directly by sialoendoscopy (22/27, 81%). Obstructive symptoms were relieved in 9 of 10 cases without stones. CONCLUSION: Operation or sialoendoscopy can be used to treat the obstruction in the submandibular gland.

[Salivary calculi in children]. / Litiasis salival en la infancia.

UNLABELLED: The main salivary glands are the submaxillary, sublingual and parotid glands. Infectious and tumoral conditions are prominent in the parotid gland whilst calculi are in submaxillary and sublingual glands. METHODS. Medical record review of 18 cases with a diagnosis of salivary calculi over a 13 year period. Data collected consisted in, clinical presentation, ultrasound (US), sialography (SG) and computarized tomography (CT), and treatment. RESULTS: 13 male and 5 female. Mean age was 7.2 years. All of them presented with pain and tenderness. Parotid gland was affected in 10 cases. An infectious cause for calculi was found in 7 while 3 presented calculi with no underlying infectious cause. Submaxillary gland was affected in 6 and sublingual in 2. No infectious condition was associated to submaxillary and sublingual calculi. Surgical treatment consisted in duct canalization for calculi removal and was performed in all patients after initial treatment with antibiotics. Neither complications nor relapse was found after surgical removal. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of salivary calculi is made by clinical symptoms and imaging exams. Treatment is surgical and has to be performed after medical treatment for infection and inflamation.

[Imaging of salivary lithiasis]. / Imagerie des lithiases salivaires.

Lithiasis is the most common disease of salivary glands after mumps. The purpose of this review is to analyze the respective role of the different available imaging techniques for the diagnosis of lithiasis and related complications since the treatment of salivary lithiasis has evolved with the emergence of minimally invasive and non surgical techniques. In spite of its limitations, US represents an excellent first line imaging technique because it is non-invasive and widely available. Non contrast helical CT with multiplanar reconstructions seems to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of lithiasis, especially when small and poorly calcified since these may not be visible on standard radiographs. CT allows accurate characterization of the number and position of lithiasis. MR Sialography is increasingly replacing the more invasive conventional sialography for the non invasive visualization of the ductal system of major salivary glands even though conventional sialography has a higher spatial resolution.

Exames complementares por imagens no diagnóstico e no planejamento cirúrgico de patologias em glândulas salivares / Salivary glands diseases imaging to make diagnoses and surgical decisions

Mudanças no tamanho de uma glândula salivar podem indicar doenças sistêmicas. Porém, é difícil avaliar corretamente estas mudanças somente através de exame clínico. Métodos complementares podem auxiliar de forma fundamental no diagnóstico. Por causa da importância de se identificar pequenos cálculos nas glândulas salivares como a causa de um conjunto de sintomas, radiografias intrabucais etomografia computadorizada são os melhores exames para uma avaliação inicial. A sialografia pode ser utilizada na avaliação de sialoadenites crônicas. Os autores discutem estes e outros exames,como a cintilografia e a ultra-sonografia, no diagnóstico e no tratamento das patologias das glândulas salivares

[The etiology of salivary calculi]. / Etiologiia sliunnokamennoi bolezni.

Ninety-four patients with chronic sialodochitis, 45 of these with sialolithiasis, have been followed up for a long time. Sialolithiasis develops in patients with congenital defects in the ductal system of the salivary gland presenting as ectasias and can be regarded as calculous sialoductitis. The etiological factors of sialolithiasis (calculous sialoductitis) are strictures (stenosis) of the ducts (distal portions) and specific topography of the duct (a "broken" duct with abrupt curves in which the concrements may form).

[Video-endoscopy of the major salivary glands]. / Videoendoskopie der grossen Kopfspeicheldrüsen.

Videoendoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for the diagnosis and therapy of sialopathies of the major salivary glands. The main indication is sialolithiasis of the submandibular and parotid glands. Sialoendoscopy offers, on the one hand, a diagnostic method for radiolucent calculi in particular and, on the other, can be used to simultaneously remove calculi. Furthermore, endoscopy is of high value for the diagnosis and treatment of other salivary gland diseases in which there are pathological changes of the ductal system. For example, regeneration of the gland is now possible in cases of chronic sialadenitis, due to the removal of a sialostenosis. Sialadenectomy can thereby be avoided.