Sialendoscopy / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Salivary gland obstruction excluding neoplastic cause is the most common complaint affecting this organ, and it is usually due to sialadenitis, salivary stones, stenosis, inflammatory, or autoimmune etiology. Traditionally, when conservative management fails, surgical intervention was required afterward. The last 20 years have seen rapid development of minimally invasive sialendoscopy in diagnosing and treating salivary gland duct obstructions. Sialendoscopy is an excellent procedure that allows endoscopic visualization of the salivary ductal system, and it also provides an alternative in treatment choice before considering an open surgery which usually make surgeons to hesitate due to its invasiveness and its related complications. The goal of treatment now is to remain a physiologically intact gland, and at the same time to resolve the obstruction of the gland. In this article, the authors reviewed the current status of minimally invasive sialendoscopy.