Curriculum · ENT, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology
Sialadenitis
What it is
Sialadenitis is inflammation of the salivary gland. In the differential diagnosis of neck masses it belongs with the systemic, inflammatory and infectious causes, together with bacterial and viral lymphadenitis, deep neck abscess, cat scratch disease, tuberculosis or atypical mycobacterium, sarcoidosis, Kikuchi Fujimoto disease, Kimura disease and Castleman disease. Salivary gland tumor is listed on its own, under both the malignant and the benign neoplastic causes, so a salivary swelling is not by itself an inflammatory problem.
Causes and risk
The inflammation is usually secondary to obstruction by a stone impacted in the duct.