Submandibular gland excision: 15 years of experience.
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.
Preuss
Simon Florian
SF
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. simon.preuss@uni-koeln.de
Klussmann
Jens Peter
JP
Wittekindt
Claus
C
Drebber
Uta
U
Beutner
Dirk
D
Guntinas-Lichius
Orlando
O
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