Dentists are familiar firsthand with such a rather cunning pathology as the parotid salivary gland cyst. It appears more often due to defects in the entry or departure of the secretion of this gland. Also, the cause may be the kind of blood clots that appear in it, recent injuries, traffic jams that appear due to too thick a secret that settles on the vessels.
What is the reason for its appearance?
The appearance of a cyst is less often associated with malignant or benign formations, tumors that exert too much pressure on the gland. Over a long period, the cyst can develop in the salivary gland asymptomatically, not showing any signs of existence at all, until it grows to a larger size and begins to cause discomfort.
The parotid salivary gland cyst (ICD 10 K11) requires special attention, as it is the largest among the salivary glands. Despite the fact that this pathology is quite rare, it causes trouble, can begin to become inflamed, increase in size and greatly change the shape of the human face.
Congenital cyst
In some cases of embryonic development, some children may be diagnosed with a congenital salivary parotid gland cyst. The protruding small soft tubercle does not allow the child to eat normally.
Difficulties with chewing, swallowing, or pain during a conversation are symptoms that suggest that a parotid salivary gland cyst has formed. To what extent is this pathology dangerous? The growth, increasing in size, can transform into a serious skin defect.
Many are wondering if treatment for a parotid salivary gland cyst is possible without surgery.
Characteristic
As is known from the school anatomical course, the salivary glands perform a significant function, which consists in the breakdown and further processing of carbohydrates, and with the secretion.
Food becomes softer, the digestive process is much easier.
In addition, saliva secreted by the glands has disinfecting properties and destroys microbes that enter the oral cavity, since it contains substances such as lysozyme, maltase, amylase, etc.
A cyst can be placed in one of three places where it develops most often:
- on the hyoid gland;
- on the salivary gland;
- on the parotid gland.
All forms of growths can occur completely unexpectedly for the patient and give a signal of their existence only after a sufficient increase in size.
Possible causes
A cyst of the parotid salivary gland can develop due to blockage of the ducts or blood clots, as a result of which the secretion to the side of the gland and vice versa becomes problematic or even stops completely.
Cyst formation may be due to the following reasons:
- damage to the oral cavity of soft tissues of a mechanical nature;
- stomatitis;
- tumor pressure that occurs near the salivary gland;
- damage and tooth decay.
The most common cause is mechanical damage. They can appear during digestion in the oral cavity. There are much fewer cases of congenital cysts, it does not let you know for a very long time, and then, under the influence of some factors, its size increases.
Other reasons
Studies in this area have helped identify several other causes of parotid salivary gland cysts:
- Failure to comply with basic hygiene standards can lead to accelerated reproduction of microbes in the oral cavity. Moreover, if there are injuries or small wounds in it, the bacteria get there, and immediately after that - directly into the blood, and this can become an indirect cause of the pathology.
- Viral diseases like flu or mumps can cause swelling around the gland under the influence of germs.
- In addition to the usual mechanical damage, there are injuries as a result of trauma, which increases the likelihood of the penetration of many pathogenic viruses and bacteria into the gland. After which the inflammatory process begins, a cyst develops.
- Soft tissue scars.
- Unhealthy lifestyle: smoking, uncontrolled drinking, poor diet, the presence of large amounts of carbohydrate products without protein and fatty foods.
- Infections caused by viruses and germs in the oral cavity. In any case, just the parotid gland will suffer the most, since all the pus passes into the oral cavity.
Often the appearance and development of a parotid salivary gland cyst is painful, accompanied by tissue inflammation or the appearance of other diseases. The growth appears due to the influence of viruses, germs, injuries and other mechanical damage in the focus of the disease.
A parotid salivary gland cyst can be seen in the photo.
Symptomatology
It should be noted that at first it is almost impossible to determine a cyst. For specific symptoms to appear, some time must pass before it increases in size.
If there are unclear pains when swallowing and talking, as well as some of the symptoms described below, you need to urgently go to the clinic with a dentist or ENT doctor:
- slight swelling in the neck and face, vague swelling;
- pain while talking, swallowing, eating;
- pain in the mucous membranes of the lips, cheeks, "under the pit of the stomach", growths or formation in the mouth;
- during palpation, the places where the cyst is supposed to have swelling with fluid;
- when pressed, pain is felt, the secretion of the parotid gland enters the oral cavity;
- the outgrowth is characterized by a heterogeneous structure, is easily palpated by fingers, elastic;
- after all the fluid flows from the formation, the cyst continues to grow and does not disappear anywhere;
- if injuries have recently occurred near the ear or on the neck, redness, rash, itching, swelling and pain of soft tissues occur on the cheeks, the inflammation process develops.
Treatment of the parotid cyst of the salivary gland with modern methods is discussed below.
Diagnostic tests
Only a professional doctor can make a final diagnosis. Diagnosis of patients is carried out on special equipment using tools, as well as during a visual examination. During the examination, the specialist must first exclude some possible diseases that are similar to the symptoms of a cyst, for example, adenomas. Of course, one visit to the doctor will not be enough.
In order to be sure of the correctness of the diagnosis, the doctor should prescribe a whole list of examinations, including tests, ultrasound diagnostics, maybe tomography or MRI, as well as cystography or sialography. It should be added that sialography is one of the types of hardware research, the purpose of which is to analyze directly the salivary ducts and salivary gland, determine their condition, as well as the walls of the ducts, establish the presence of blockage and blood clots.
Due to this, the doctor will be able to establish the presence of a cyst, determine its estimated size and location. Then the specialist must prescribe a biopsy to the patient. Its value is to take a little fluid from the growth for analysis - to examine for the presence of cancer cells in it. Based on the result, therapy is prescribed.
Treatment
The parotid salivary gland cyst is not treated with medication. Its removal occurs only surgically.
Surgery for a parotid salivary gland cyst is done using extraoral access. Intervention is carried out under local anesthesia.
As a rule, they directly remove the cyst, soft tissues that were affected near it, and possibly the ducts located next to it. In some situations, along with the cyst, the gland is also removed, so that in the future the possibility of a new appearance of the cyst is excluded.
Great difficulties during the removal of the parotid salivary gland cyst for the surgeon can cause its localization - inaccessible location. The doctor should act as cautiously as possible, as a jeweler, since the most important thing in this case is not to touch the facial nerve located directly near the cyst and salivary gland.
Bacterial infections that cause cysts are eliminated through antibacterial treatment. For preventive purposes, in order to avoid the appearance of this pathology of the salivary glands, it is necessary to follow the principles of a healthy lifestyle.
It is necessary to pay attention to nutrition (diet should be balanced), personal hygiene. It is recommended to refrain from such a bad habit as smoking. Statistical studies say that smokers suffer the most from such a disease. Everyone should take care of their health, and then the disease will bypass it.
Life prognosis for a cyst of the left parotid gland (or right)
If the surgery to remove the cyst was unsuccessful (such reviews are few in number), the person will have a distorted facial expression, his contour will be distorted, the muscles that are responsible for his facial expressions will be paralyzed.
After the elimination of the growth or simultaneously with the gland, surgical sutures are applied to the inflamed area. If necessary, the specialist can supply drainage, which is responsible for the outflow of fluid from the affected area and rapid healing.
Prevention Measures and Doctor Consultation
Regarding the prevention of salivary parotid gland cysts, doctors advise their patients not to neglect the recommendations of personal oral hygiene, and not to put themselves at risk of injury with further infection and complication.
In case of unexpected appearance of incomprehensible swelling, swelling in the face and neck, you should immediately consult a doctor and consult.
We must not forget about the annual (preferably every six months) medical commissions and examinations, consult an ENT doctor or dentist.
Professional oral hygiene
Specialists are also advised to undergo professional oral hygiene. This procedure consists in the fact that a complete diagnosis of the oral cavity is carried out, it is disinfected, deposits and plaque are removed, an anti-inflammation complex is performed, the teeth are whitened and polished, and a consultation regarding further care for the teeth and oral cavity is carried out.
Ideally, you need to regularly visit the dentist every six months and not delay the visit if something bothers you.