[Sialolithiasis].

Abstract

The calcified structures that form within the parenchymal tissues or the canal of the salivatory glands are called salivatory stones or sialolithiasis. They contain calcium phosphate, 74.3%; calcium carbonate 11.1%; soluble salt, 6.2%; organic elements, 2.2% and water. The stones are formed by the precipitation of calcified structures around a nucleus that is made of the foreign bodies in the gland, desquamated epithelial cells, degradation products of the bacteria or the bacteria itself. 83% of the salivatory stones is found in the submandibular gland, 10% of them belongs to the parotid and the sublingual gland comes up with 7%. Aside from the major salivatory glands, the minor ones also contain stones. The stones can be classified as anterior, posterior and intraglandular according to the position. The unilateral stones, usually, when reached to the considerable size, cause to partial or total obstruction of the canals. We examined the two cases that have stones localized within the canals of submandibular gland when we were unable to use the sialography technique because of the obstruction the ultrasoundography was our other choice we had direct measurements of the stones and the gland both. After the operation a chemical analysis showed that the stones include calcium and magnesium as cations and phosphate and carbonate as anions.