Unilateral submandibular gland aplasia with contralateral hypertrophy: an unusual neck mass

The congenital absence of major salivary glands is an infrequent disorder, in which several glands are usually involved at the same time. Aplasia of unilateral submandibular (SM) gland is a very rare finding. Clinical presentation is variable. While some patients have no symptoms, others report difficulty in chewing and swallowing due to dry mouth, and even dental caries. Diagnosis of salivary gland aplasia can be made with a variety of imaging techniques, which include sonography, CT or MRI, sialography or isotope scans (technetium T99m-pertechnetate). We report the case of a 30-year-old man presenting with a gradually progressive neck mass, because of unilateral SM gland hypertrophy associated with contralateral SM gland aplasia.