SALIVARY GLAND DISEASES

BENIGN / PREMALIGNANT DISEASES - SALIVARY GLANDS

The main function of the salivary glands, as the name implies, is to produce saliva.

There are thousands of small glands scattered throughout the mouth and throat, but there are 3 larger glands called the sublingual gland, the submaxillary gland and the parotid gland. Salivary gland diseases can be divided into:

INFLAMMATORY DISEASES OF THE SALIVARY GLANDS

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.

NEOPLASTIC DISEASES OF THE SALIVARY GLANDS

Salivary gland tumours can be Benign / Pre-Malignant or Malignant.

The main manifestations are nodules inside the glands, with no other associated symptoms. Most tumours are benign, but some may potentially become malignant and others may already be cancer, even though it appears to be just an “innocent lump”.

The only way to reach a definitive diagnosis is through its removal, therefore, almost all salivary nodules have surgical indication.

It’s essential to be operated on by a surgeon experienced in salivary gland surgery. At Instituto Português da Face, we have team members who are exclusively dedicated to cervical-facial surgery and deal with these different situations on a daily basis with a multidisciplinary perspective, providing the patient with the assurance that the highest-level procedure will be performed, and the guaranteed best possible recovery and rehabilitation.