[Salivary gland diseases]

After more than 25 years of activity in the field of salivary gland surgery, especially parotid gland surgery, the following statements can be made. 1. Salivary gland diseases are extremely variable and their treatment requires vast clinical experience. 2. The judgement of salivary gland diseases requires highly competent pathologic assistance and a specialized laboratory in this respect. In the field of salivary gland pathology--like in many other specialized subdivisions in pathology--the need of a second opinion in order to increase the reliability of the original diagnosis has to be claimed once more. 3. A certain change has taken place in the diagnostic means. Modern techniques of visualization show a shift toward noninvasive sonography, but also toward computed tomography with or without contrast agents, and there is a steadily increasing shift toward magnetic resonance tomography as well. 4. The literature about salivary gland diseases and their therapy can no longer be overlooked and is unfortunately characterized by very different aspects of judgement, which in many cases hardly allow a comparative discussion of certain clinical and therapeutic questions. 5. Parotid gland surgery requires a clear concept concerning the different diseases, especially of the different oncologic entities. Surgical preparation of the facial nerve has to be mastered equally from the central and the peripheral course of the nerve.