title: [A submandibular swelling: the salivary gland?].
abstract: Four patients, three men aged 32, 51 and 74 years, respectively, and a woman aged 34 years, presented with a submandibular swelling. In all four patients, the swelling was caused by submandibular salivary-gland disease. The first patient appeared to have chronic sialoadenitis due to sialolithiasis, in the second patient the diagnosis was sialoadenosis due to anorexia-boulimia, the third patient had a pleomorphic adenoma and the fourth had a malignant neoplasm of the floor of the mouth causing obstruction of the submandibular gland. A submandibular swelling may have many different causes. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between enlargement of the submandibular gland and an enlarged lymph node. Intra-oral inspection and palpation may give valuable information about the origin of some submandibular swellings. Using a combination of history, examination and, when necessary, fine-needle aspiration and röntgenological examination, the diagnosis of submandibular lumps is usually straightforward.
authors.affiliation: Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden, afd. Mondziekten, Kaak- en Aangezichtschirurgie, Henri Dunantweg 2, 8934 AD Leeuwarden.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Strabbing
authors.forename: J G A M
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: de Visscher
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van der Waal
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000150:complications; D002032:Bulimia / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D015494:Salivary Gland Calculi / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013364:Submandibular Gland Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology