Sialoendoscopic management of submandibular gland obstruction caused by intraglandular foreign body

Objective: Submandibular gland obstruction caused by foreign body is relatively uncommon. We discuss the diagnosis and management of foreign body-induced submandibular sialadenitis by an illustrative case report and review of the literature.

Study design: We report a case of a patient who suffered from obstructive submandibular sialadenitis caused by an intraglandular fish bone, indicating the benefits of sialoendoscopy in diagnosis and treatment of such diseases. A search of the Medline database (from 1967 to February 2011) for foreign body-caused submandibular sialadenitis was performed.

Results: The clinical outcome was satisfactory during a 14 months' follow-up, with no evidence of recurrence. Literature review showed that obstructive submandibular sialadenitis originating from a foreign body is relatively rare, and successful removal of an intraglandular foreign body with gland preservation had never been reported before.

Conclusions: Sialoendoscopy can be served as an organ-preserving approach for diagnosis and treatment of foreign body-induced obstructive salivary diseases.