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Chronic sialadenitis with sialolithiasis associated with parapharyngeal fistula and tonsillolith
Bharat A Panuganti1, Randall L Baldassarre2, Julie Bykowski2
1Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California - San Diego, 200 W Arbor Drive #8895, San Diego, CA 92103, USA.
Abstract:
Sialolithiasis is a common salivary pathology, suggested to affect over 1% of the population by postmortem studies. An uncommon complication of sialadenitis and sialolithiasis is the formation of fistulous tracts to other cervicofacial compartments. Submandibular gland sialocutaneous and sialo-oral fistulae have been sparsely described, but a sialo-pharyngeal fistula manifesting as a tonsillolith has yet to be described. We present an unusual case of a 35-year-old male presenting with recalcitrant neck pain and a presumed tonsillolith in the background of chronic submandibular sialadenitis, subsequently demonstrating a salivary fistula through the parapharyngeal space. We offer a thorough review of the literature to highlight the possibility of migratory sialolithiasis and its complications.
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