Clinical and Histopathological Characteristics of 70 Cases with Submandibular Sialolithiasis

Abstract

Seventy patients with sialolithiais of the submandibular glands were treated surgically in our department between 1989～1996. The ages of the patients ranged from 11 to 70. The ratio of males to females was 1 : 1. Sixty out of seventy patients (94%) complained of swellings in the submandibular regions. Fifty-six patients (80%) had only one sialolith in the unilateral Wharton's duct or submandibular gland. Of the 72 removed sialoliths, 50 (69%) were located in the Wharton's duct, 16 (22%) in the submandibular glands, and 6 (8%) in the transitional portion. The size of the sialoliths were mostly between 3～10 mm in major axis, while the largest measured 30 mm. X-ray examinations detected 87% of the sialoliths in the Wharton's duct. A CT scan showed their concise shapes, sizes and locations. The minimum size detected by ultrasonography was 3 mm in major axis. Histologically, the excised submandibular glands were characterized by various degrees of infiltration of the lymphocytes and plasma cells indicating chronic inflammation. The cross-sections of the sialoliths showed lamellar structures. Scanning electronmicroscopically, the sialoliths represented fibrous and/or smooth surfaces, and the insides contained an accumulation of globular structures