2017 Volume 151 Pages 84-85
Vascular malformation rarely arises in the submandibular gland. Here, we describe two cases of multiple phleboliths in the submandibular glands.
The first case was a 70-year-old woman who presented with a mass in her left submandibular gland. A plain computed tomography (CT) examination showed calcification indicative of sialolithiasis in the submandibular gland.
The second case was a 40-year-old woman who presented with a mass that had repeatedly appeared and disappeared. A plain CT examination showed a sialolith in the right Warton duct and calcification of the submandibular gland.
In both cases, the tumors were removed surgically under general anesthesia. The pathological diagnosis was vascular malformation with phleboliths. The differentiation of phleboliths from sialolithiasis was difficult especially in the second case, which was complicated by the presence of a sialolith in the Warton duct. In this case, additional examinations using ultrasonography or contrast enhanced CT were required.
In cases with sialolithiasis of the submandibular gland with calcification in a submandibular lesion, otolaryngologists should consider vascular malformation in the differential diagnosis.
