title: Incidence of different causes of benign obstruction of the salivary glands: retrospective analysis of 493 cases using fluoroscopy and digital subtraction sialography.
abstract: To identify the incidence of different causes of benign obstruction of the salivary glands, we retrospectively analysed 788 anonymised sialography reports of 719 patients referred to the department of dental and maxillofacial radiology between 2006 and 2012. Reports that showed evidence of benign obstruction were included (n=493). Salivary stones were identified in 151 (31%), ductal strictures in 115 (23%), and mucus plugs in 295 (60%). In 67 cases (14%) there was evidence of 2 or 3 causes of obstruction. As previously reported, mucous plugs were the most common finding, possibly because of the use of fluoroscopy or digital subtraction sialography, or both. These methods enable images to be captured during the initial filling of the main duct and are likely to prevent mucus plugs from being obscured by the contrast medium, which is the case in conventional sialography when a single image is produced after the contrast has been injected.
authors.affiliation: Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Garrod Building, Turner Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2AD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: L I T
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology, Queen Mary University of London, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Turner Street, London E1 2AD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pawar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whitley
authors.affiliation: Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology, Queen Mary University of London, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Turner Street, London E1 2AD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: j.makdissi@qmul.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makdissi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000453:epidemiology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000473:pathology; D015494:Salivary Gland Calculi / Q000453:epidemiology; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012796:Sialography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013382:Subtraction Technique / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Ductal strictures; Minimally invasive interventional procedures; Mucus plugs; Salivary stones; Sialography