To review our experience with therapeutic sialendoscopy in both the submandibular and parotid glands in order to determine prognostic factors and improve successful outcomes.

Single-centre, retrospective chart review.

The medical records of patients who had undergone sialendoscopy for sialolithiasis were reviewed, and demographic details, stone data (location, size, multiplicity, mobility), and operative technique and success were recorded.

Eighty-five patients were included: 70 patients with submandibular stones and 15 with parotid stones. Sialendoscopy was successful in all cases. Complete endoscopic removal was successful in 51 per cent of patients with submandibular stones and 47 per cent of those with parotid stones. Size (less than 5 mm) and distance from the papilla (less than 3 cm) were significant factors affecting success for patients with submandibular duct stones. However, this was not the case for patients with parotid duct stones, with neither variable achieving significance; nevertheless, numbers were small.

Stone size and location significantly affect the success of therapeutic sialendoscopy in submandibular glands.

This case report describes a patient who suffered an acute, severe complication of unilateral submandibular sialolithiasis, the disease process and management of these patients.

A 70-year-old woman was under investigation for a recurrent, painful right submandibular swelling and subsequently presented with an acute exacerbation. She exhibited symptoms of acute submandibular sialadenitis, and also reported breathing difficulty and a change in voice quality. Computed tomography imaging showed that this was caused by a submandibular gland duct sialolith, with inflammation extending to the ipsilateral supraglottis. She was treated medically and the stone was removed when the inflammation had stabilised.

This case highlights the need to thoroughly assess patients with neck swellings, especially when symptoms are atypical, to avoid life-threatening complications.