Salivary gland disease Flashcards
List the major salivary glands
Parotid
Submandibular
sublingual
Where are minor salivary glands found
Palate
lips
Which nerves are close to the parotid gland
Facial nerve
What can block major salivary glands
Stones
Strictures
What can major salivary gland pathology lead to
Dry mouth only if multiple major glands affected
What can cause dry mouth
- Drugs
- Radiotherapy
- Sjogrens disease
- Anxiety
- Dehydration
What can lumps in the salivary gland be due to
- Blocked glands
- Sialosis
- Salivary gland timour
- Lymph nodes
- Stones/ tumours
What can cause lymph node swelling
- infection
- Metastatic cancer
- Lymphoma
Which gland is most commonly blocked
Submandibular glands
Why do salivary gland blockages cause pain
As saliva can’t escape which can increase pressure causing swelling and pain
How can we manage salivary gland stones
- Papillotomy
- Basket retrieval (specialist)
- Duct dilation
How can we identify where salivary ducts are in the head and neck
Sialogrpahy
What can cause a patient to get an acute infection in the salivary glands
- Elderly
- Dehydration
- Acutely unwell
- High temp
- Raised white blood cell count
- Swelling over gland
How do we treat salivary gland acute infections
- Rehydration
- Analgesia
- Antibiotics
Give some examples of how chronic infections present in salivary glands
- Recurrent infection
- Pain
- May have little to no symtpoms for month