RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sialolithiasis occurs in the submandibular gland rather than in the parotid or sublingual gland. It was manifested by several biochemical and anatomical factors inducing saliva retension. There have been various clinical reports about sialolith, but only a few analytical reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out for the period of July, 1998 to July, 2000 of 25 cases of the submandibular sialolithes, which was diagnosed and removed . We performed clinical and component analysis of sialolithes with a new method that uses the absorption band of an infrared spectrometer analysis. RESULTS: Calcium phosphate (16 cases) showed a strong band at 1000cm-1 and calcium phosphate and albumin (9 cases) showed a strong double band at 1700cm-1 and 1000cm-1. The incidence of submandibular sialolithiasis was predominant in females, accounting for the male to female ratio of 8:17. The age distribution of sialolithes was 15 to 62 years. Sialolithes were removed by the transoral approach under local anesthesia and external approach (submandibular gland resection) under general anesthesia. For most patients, sialolithes were brown in color (12 cases), 2~14mm in size, 2.1~1636.8ng in weight and located on the Wharton's duct orifice (17 cases). CONCLUSION: The most common types of sialolithes were calcium phosphate (16 cases, 64%). The rest of sialolithes (9 cases, 36%) were mixed calcium phosphate and albumin. Compared to all the other methods used in the sialolithes analysis, the infrared analysis furnished the permanent record in the shortest time. It was also ideal for qualitative identification and semiquantitative estimation of small fractions of calcium.