Acute sialadenitis after percutaneous coronary intervention

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Radiology
• Pathology

Background:

• Sialadenitis, inflammation of salivary glands, can be caused by various factors.
• Radiocontrast agents are commonly used in medical imaging procedures like PTCA.
• Adverse reactions to radiocontrast agents, though rare, are important to document.

Observation:

• A 63-year-old woman presented with acute swelling of the submandibular glands.
• The swelling occurred shortly after undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
• An otolaryngologist initially suspected viral sialadenitis.

Findings:

• The submandibular gland swelling resolved spontaneously within 48 hours.
• Sialadenitis is identified as a rare, self-limited side effect of both ionic and nonionic radiocontrast agents.
• The exact pathogenic mechanism underlying this reaction remains unknown.

Implications:

• This case highlights sialadenitis as a potential, albeit rare, complication following procedures involving radiocontrast agents.
• The condition has an excellent prognosis and does not require specific therapeutic intervention.
• Further research into the pathogenic mechanisms of radiocontrast-induced sialadenitis may be warranted.