Sialosis (sialadenosis) is a chronic, bilateral, diffuse, non-inflammatory, non-neoplastic swelling of the major salivary glands that primarily affects the parotid glands, but occasionally involves the submandibular glands and rarely, the minor salivary glands.
3. Sialosis (sialadenosis) is a chronic, bilateral, diffuse, non-
inflammatory, non-neoplastic swelling of the major salivary glands
that primarily affects the parotid glands, but occasionally involves
the submandibular glands and rarely, the minor salivary glands.This
can be painless or in some instances tender.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
4. The typical clinical symptom is a bilateral, often
recurrent,symmetrical and painless (it is often painless but not
invariably so)swelling of the parotid gland.
The characteristic pathological findings consist in an acinar cell
hypertrophy without any inflammatory signs. According to this
definition, sialadenosis has to be separated from those diseases of
salivary glands, which are primarily altered by inflammation of the
salivary tissue with secondary secretory disturbances.
Patients are aged 30 - 69 years at onset and the sexes are equally
involved.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
5. CAUSES:
Sialosis may be idiopathic or may be associated with the following:
www.dental-lifestyle.com
6. DRUGS
Among the wide range of drugs that may induce sialosis, anti-hypertensiv
agents are prominent.
1.Alcohol abuse ± liver cirrhosis + hepatic steatosis and alcoholic hepatitis.
2.Sympathomimetics such as isoprenaline
3.Phenylbutazone
4.Anti-thyroids & phenothiazines
www.dental-lifestyle.com
7. ENDOCRINE:
1.Diabetes Mellitus (reported prevalence of sialosis in diabetes ranging
from 10% to 80%)
2.Pregnancy
3.Acromegaly
4.Following oophorectomy
www.dental-lifestyle.com
8. NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS:
Any disorder that affects the digestion of food or its absorption over a prolonged
period, can result in sialosis.
1.Malnutrition -pellagra or kwashiorkor
2.Cystic Fibrosis & pancreatitis
3.Anorexia Nervosa
4.Bulimia
5.Vitamin A defficiency
6.GIT diseases
www.dental-lifestyle.com
9. Several causes have been recorded, most of which
are associated with (mal-)nutrition, metabolism or
drugs and have a unifying feature in autonomic
neuropathy.
Changes in salivary aquaporin water channels may
also be involved.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
11. The diagnosis for sialosis must exclude inflammatory causes of
salivary swelling particularly Sjogren syndrome,HIV
infection,sarcoidosis and lymphoepithelial disease by relevant
investigations.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
12. 1.Physically,the groove between the mastoid process and the
ramus of the mandible becomes annihilated and the swelling that
is formed gives a trapezoid appearance.
2.Sialography is rarely used but can be useful in diagnosis. A
leafless winter tree may be seen in the result.Helps differentiate
space occupying lesions.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
13. 3.CT imaging can be used to diagnose sialadenosis but no specific
features can be seen.
4.MRI is one the best methods for diagnosing a salivary gland
condition and it also helps to exclude other pathologies.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
14. 5.Fine needle aspiration or open biopsy examinations may help with the
diagnosis but they are rarely indicated.
6.Salivary sonography can help us exclude other salivary gland
pathologies like MRI.
7.Sialochemistry has no benefit in diagnosis,although raised
concetrations of potassium,calcium and amylase activity have been
reported.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
15. 8.Sialometry is also of little practical value because in this case
salivary secretory activity is usually within normal limits.
9.Blood tests ,we can notice increased glucose levels.
www.dental-lifestyle.com
17. No treatment is necessary.
Sialosis may resolve if the causative agents will be treated
appropriately (diabetes mellitus ,alcoholism,drugs etc.).
If the glands are disfiguring, superficial parotidectomy to improve
the appearance could be considered.
www.dental-lifestyle.com