Cystinuria: One Possible Reason for Kidney and Salivary Gland Lithiasis Relationship

Salivary gland lithiasis affects 1 to 2% of adults. The submandibular glands are concerned in 87% of cases. An association between kidney and salivary lithiases, although often mentioned, has rarely been observed. We relate an exceptional case of parotid and submandibular cystine sialolithiasis with kidney cystine lithiasis in a patient with cystinuria. Cystine lithiasis occurs in 1% of kidney lithiasis cases. The purpose of this article is to discuss the arguments, diagnosis, and therapeutic attitude in front of salivary cystine lithiasis. The patient was a 56-year-old woman treated for cystinuria undergoing a consultation for parotid lithiases. We obtained a panoramic view and performed a cervicofacial computed tomography scan, sialo-magnetic resonance imaging, and sialendoscopy. We found multiple lithiases in the distal portions of the Stensen duct, and 2 days after sialendoscopy, the patient expelled small sialoliths. Salivary lithiasis in patients with cystinuria has the same biochemical composition as kidney lithiasis. A computed tomography scan is efficient in most cases, but sialo-magnetic resonance imaging may be the only noninvasive method to diagnose small cystine salivary lithiases, such as those that can be seen in patients with cystinuria. Sialendoscopy is still an efficient diagnostic and therapeutic method for every type of salivary lithiasis.