title: Submandibular swelling: tooth or salivary stone?
abstract: Submandibular swelling is a common clinical disorder of the maxillo-facial region that may be one of the manifestation of several pathologic disorders including sialolithiasis. A 38-year-old woman experienced a recurrent painful swelling in the right submandibular region for seven years. The symptoms, not always meal-related, gradually became chronic and associated with dysphagia, odynophagia and fever. Ultrasonography of the salivary glands revealed a retained glandular structure and no ductal obstruction or dilatation, and orthopantomography showed the presence of a structure compatible with tooth, but these findings did not correlate with clinical scenario. Only CT dental scan identified the radiological image as a salivary stone. Sialolithiasis should always be considered in the diagnostic iter of painful submandibular swelling. A careful evaluation of recurrence and characteristics of signs and symptoms associated to the swelling can help in making the correct diagnosis and planning a proper therapeutic strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, ENT Clinic, University of Milan, IRCCS Foundation Ca` Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capaccio
authors.forename: Giulia Anna
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Marciante
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaffuri
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spadari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012008:Recurrence; D015494:Salivary Gland Calculi / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed