Inflammatory diseases of the salivary
glands, or sialadenitis, usually manifest as bouts of pain and swelling of the
face that occur during a meal.
The number of times it happens and the
severity of each crisis can be very variable, from the patient who only feels
discomfort in the neck during a meal, to patients who need to be hospitalized to
treat the crisis.
Crises occur because during the meal, the
salivary glands contract to eliminate the saliva produced for the mouth, but in
the diseased gland, there is an obstruction of the saliva exit, by a stone for
example. As saliva accumulates in the gland, it swells and swelling causes
pain.
Treatment depends on the affected gland, the
cause of the obstruction and the severity of the disease, but many patients
will have to undergo surgery to fully resolve their symptoms.