Correspondence

Interventional Sialendoscopy

N Engl J Med 1999; 341:1242-1243October 14, 1999

Article

To the Editor:

Obstruction of the salivary ducts is one of the main causes of sialadenitis. The principal diagnostic tool for disorders of the salivary duct is sialography, a procedure requiring high doses of radiation. Interventional sialendoscopy is a new procedure for visualizing the salivary ducts and treating their abnormalities. Attempts have been made to visualize salivary stones1 and to destroy them by internal2 or external3 lithotripsy. These techniques required many sessions, and stone fragments were removed blindly.

Progress in fiberoptic technology and miniaturization now allows the endoscopist to obtain high-quality images. We have developed a rigid endoscope that is 1.3 mm in diameter and that has a working channel and several miniature wire baskets for retrieving objects. A sialolith is removed under direct endoscopic control4 by introducing the sialendoscope into Stensen's or Wharton's duct. Small sialoliths can be extracted with the wire baskets (Figure 1Figure 1Removal of a Salivary Stone (Panel A) with a Wire Basket (Arrow in Panel B) during Endoscopy.), whereas larger stones must first be fragmented. Removal of the obstruction results in immediate relief of symptoms. Preservation of the salivary glands is therefore possible in a majority of patients, who previously would have had to undergo surgical extirpation of the glands.

Francis Marchal, M.D.
Pavel Dulguerov, M.D.
Willy Lehmann, M.D.
Geneva University Hospital, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland

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Citing Articles (11)

Citing Articles

1. 1

   Hiromi Nagano, Mizuo Umakoshi, Masaki Kawabata, Yoshiko Hayamizu, Junichiro Ohori, Kosuke Yoshifuku, Yuichi Kurono. (2011) Sialendoscopy and Two Cases of Bilateral Parotid Duct Stenosis. Practica Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica 104:6, 435-440
   CrossRef

2. 2

   Chuangqi Yu, Chi Yang, Lingyan Zheng, Daming Wu. (2010) Endoscopic Observation and Strategic Management of Obstructive Submandibular Sialadenitis. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 68:8, 1770-1775
   CrossRef

3. 3

   B. Delas, D. Dehesdin. (2010) Chirurgia della ghiandola sottomandibolare a cielo aperto. Chirurgia della ghiandola sublinguale per via esterna. EMC - Tecniche Chirurgiche - Chirurgia Generale 10:1, 1-8
   CrossRef

4. 4

   Daisuke Oyake, Tomoyuki Okada, Shigeru Kasugai, Masahiko Fukasawa, Izumi Koizuka. (2010) Sialendoscopy Assisted for Extraction of Large Stone with Submandibular Gland. Practica Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica 103:6, 547-550
   CrossRef

5. 5

   F. Marchal, C. Chossegros, F. Faure, B. Delas, A. Bizeau, B. Mortensen, B. Schaitkin, C. Buchwald, C. Cenjor, C. Yu, D. Campisi, D. Eisele, D. Greger, D. Trikeriotis, G. Pabst, J. Kolenda, M. Hagemann, M. Tarabichi, O. Guntinas-Lichius, P. Homoe, R. Carrau, R. Irvine, R. Studer, S. Wang, U. Fischer, V. Van der Poorten, Y. Saban, G. Barki. (2008) Salivary stones and stenosis. A comprehensive classification. Revue de Stomatologie et de Chirurgie Maxillo-faciale 109:4, 233-236
   CrossRef

6. 6

   C.-Q. Yu, C. Yang, L.-Y. Zheng, D.-M. Wu, J. Zhang, B. Yun. (2008) Selective management of obstructive submandibular sialadenitis. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 46:1, 46-49
   CrossRef

7. 7

   Francis Marchal. (2007) A Combined Endoscopic and External Approach for Extraction of Large Stones With Preservation of Parotid and Submandibular Glands. The Laryngoscope 117:2, 373-377
   CrossRef

8. 8

   Cyrille Chossegros, Laurent Guyot, Olivier Richard, G Barki, Francis Marchal. (2006) A Technical Improvement in Sialendoscopy to Enter the Salivary Ducts. The Laryngoscope 116:5, 842-844
   CrossRef

9. 9

   Senrong Qi, Xiaoyong Liu, Songlin Wang. (2005) Sialoendoscopic and Irrigation Findings in Chronic Obstructive Parotitis. The Laryngoscope 115:3, 541-545
   CrossRef

10. 10

    Francis Marchal, Pavel Dulguerov, Minerva Becker, Gerard Barki, Fran??ois Disant, Willy Lehmann. (2001) Specificity of Parotid Sialendoscopy. The Laryngoscope 111:2, 264-271
    CrossRef

11. 11

    Francis Marchal, Minerva Becker, Pavel Dulguerov, Willy Lehmann. (2000) Interventional Sialendoscopy. The Laryngoscope 110:2, 318-318
    CrossRef