Experiences following combined endoscopic transcutaneous stone extraction of the Parotid Gland

Background Transcutaneous-endoscopic removal of salivary stones in the parotid gland is a gland-preserving procedure for the treatment of complicated sialolithiasis.

Material and Methods Between 2006 and 2023, 37 patients underwent this procedure at our institution. Medium- to long-term follow-up was conducted using sialendoscopy (SE), ultrasound (US), and questionnaires (FB).

Results Stones were located proximally in 48.6%, hilar to intraparenchymal in 24.3%, in the middle duct system in 10.8%, and distally in 13.5% of cases. The average stone size was 8.2 mm. Gland preservation was achieved in 94.6% of patients (35/37). The average follow-up-time was 100.7 months (SD±64.1 months). None of the 30 patients examined so far showed signs of recurrence (26 with SE and/or US, 4 with FB). One patient with de-novo sialolithiasis was treated with ISWL. All patients were symptom-free during follow-up. Postoperatively, there was an 84.4% reduction in symptoms like swelling and pain (p<0.001, Wilcoxon test), and average quality of life increased by 73.9% (p<0.001, Wilcoxon test).

Discussion Transcutaneous-endoscopic removal proved successful in>95% of cases, with no recurrence observed in the long term. Subjective complaints were significantly lower, and quality of life was significantly higher.

Publication History

Article published online:
19 April 2024