Abstract
Background: The exact mechanism of the formation of salivary gland stones is unknown. Elucidating pathophysiology of the formation of salivary stones might prevent both their formation and the need for implementing invasive surgical procedures. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects exerted by some etiological factors on the formation of salivary gland stones.
Methods: In this case–control study, the records of 80 patients with sialolithiasis were studied as a census from April 2011 to June 2019. These patients were referred to the Oral Medicine and the ENT departments of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The control group consisted of the same number of the patients with no sialolithiasis. Two groups were compared in terms of stone size, smoking, gallstones, and renal stones. Chi-squared, independent t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test were adopted to examine the quantitative variables. The data were analyzed using SPSS 17. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.
Results: Overall, 96.2% of sialoliths were found in the submandibular gland, of which 78.8% were single. Moreover, 32.5% of the patients with a history of sialolithiasis were smokers, whereas this frequency was 23.8% in the control group. In the case and control groups, 2.5% and 5% of the patients had a history of renal stones, respectively. Only one patient who had undergone a surgical procedure to remove salivary gland stones had a history of gallstones, while none of the patients in the control group had a history of gallstones.
Conclusions: The results showed that the formation of salivary gland stones was not associated with smoking, history of renal stones, and gallstones. Furthermore, it was found that the numbers and sizes of salivary stones were not affected by smoking.