Sialendoscopy for sialolithiasis in children: 4-8 years follow up

Sialolithiasis is rare in children, there are no guidelines for its treatment, and there are few, if any, long term follow-up studies. We report a retrospective review of medical records of children who were treated for sialolithiasis by sialendoscopy between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011, and who have been followed up for 4-8 years. Personal and clinical details, including age, sex, symptoms, whether the lithiasis was parotid or submandibular, the technique of sialendoscopy and complications, were recorded. Twenty-six children (30 sides) were successfully treated by sialendoscopy between 2007 and 2011 (mean (range) age 12 (3-17) years). Stones were removed from the parotid gland in four patients and the submandibular gland in 22. The main indication for sialendoscopy was swelling of the salivary gland during meals. Twenty-six procedures were done endoscopically. Twelve were treated with a wire basket alone, 10 by the combined approach, and laser was used in eight. Four patients developed complications, but without long-term effects. During follow-up of 4-8 years there were no recurrent swellings. We conclude that endoscopic treatment of stones in childhood is an efficient and conservative option for salivary glands, has few complications and no clinical recurrence at medium to long-term follow-up.