title: Submandibular gland excision: 15 years of experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The surgical management of submandibular gland diseases has always been a challenge because it carries a considerable risk of nerve injury. The aim of this study was to review a single institution's experience of a nonselected case series of submandibular gland excision over 15 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 258 unselected submandibular excisions of a tertiary university center for the histopathologic diagnosis and postoperative morbidity; 119 patients (46%) with sialolithiasis, 88 patients (34%) with sialadenitis, and 51 patients (20%) with submandibular tumors were operated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a high rate of malignant tumors (42%) in the group of submandibular gland tumors. A low rate of transient palsies of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve (9%) and lingual nerve (2%) was observed. One patient developed a permanent paresis of the mandibular branch (<1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our large series has shown that standardized submandibular sialadenectomy is a safe operation with a low rate of complications. Malignant disease is frequent in tumors of the submandibular gland.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. simon.preuss@uni-koeln.de
authors: Simon Florian
authors: SF
authors: Preuss
authors: Jens Peter
authors: JP
authors: Klussmann
authors: Claus
authors: C
authors: Wittekindt
authors: Uta
authors: U
authors: Drebber
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Beutner
authors: Orlando
authors: O
authors: Guntinas-Lichius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015494:Salivary Gland Calculi / Q000601:surgery; D012793:Sialadenitis / Q000601:surgery; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013364:Submandibular Gland Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013365:Submandibular Gland Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome