[Treatment of salivary gland calculi by extracorporeal lithotripsy]

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal lithotripsy (ECL) in the treatment of salivary stones. In a prospective study, 15 patients suffering from sialolithiasis were treated by applying extracorporeally generated shock waves. No patients needed general anaesthesia, sedatives, or analgesics. Treatment was effective in 80% of the 15 patients in this series (5 total efficacy, and 7 partial efficacy). Only minor complications were observed. Lithotripsy is a promising nonsurgical therapy for the treatment of sialolithiasis.