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Ultrasound‐guided piezoelectric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of parotid gland calculi
Author(s) -
Külkens Christoph,
Quetz Joachim U.,
Lippert Burkard M.,
Folz Benedikt J.,
Werner Jochen A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.1054
Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy , lithotripsy , extracorporeal , ultrasound , parotid gland , adverse effect , radiology , dentistry
Abstract Purpose The introduction of piezoelectric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has changed therapy for salivary calculi. This method seems especially suitable for treating calculi in the parotid gland. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ESWL in patients with such calculi. Methods From November 1990 to November 1999, all patients with sialolithiasis of the parotid gland were treated with piezoelectric ESWL. Three different lithotriptors were used over the 9‐year study period. Results were analyzed according to both the patients' clinical status and follow‐up sonograms. Results In total, 42 patients (21 women, 21 men; mean age, 59 years) were treated with ESWL. The mean follow‐up period for all patients was 63 months (range, 7–96 months). After ESWL had been performed, 71% of the patients were completely free of symptoms, and 21% had marked improvement of their symptoms. Sixty‐seven percent were completely free of calculi, and 27% had a marked reduction in the size of their calculi. Adverse effects of ESWL included temporary glandular swelling (4 patients), blood‐tinged salivary secretions (9 patients), petechiae on the skin surface (3 patients), and parotid abscess (1 patient). Conclusions ESWL is an outpatient procedure that can be performed without anesthesia and with scarcely any discomfort for patients. Conventional surgical procedures such as subtotal parotidectomy may be almost entirely replaced by ESWL because of the excellent treatment results and a very low rate of complications associated with ESWL. ESWL should be considered the treatment of choice for parotid calculi. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 29:389–394, 2001.