SIALOANGIECTASIS is a term which the writer suggests may be used to describe a condition of the salivary glands where the ducts and terminal ductules, and even the terminal alveoli, are dilated, resembling the dilatation of the bronchi and terminal bronchioles in bronchiectasis. The term is derived from the Greek ~l t x h~The term ' sialectasis ' which has been used to describe the condition is not strictly correct etymologically, translating as ' a stretching out or dilatation of the saliva '. The term ' sialography ' , commonly used for the radiographic demonstration of the salivary channels, is open to the same etymological criticism. More correctly, it should be ' sialoangiography '.
CASE REPORTJ. M., male, aged 50 years. The patient stated that in 1919, on his return from the war, he suffered an attack of what was apparently a left-sided acute suppurative parotitis. From the history, it would appear that pus formed and finally evacuated itself into the mouth, probably via Stenson's duct.An inflammatory condition persisted, and at varying intervals during the next few years he had recurring acute inflammatory attacks in both parotid and both submaxillary glands. The patient could not remember the order of involvement of the respective glands. Various medicaments were injected into his parotid ducts from time to time, sometimes combined with dilatation, but without any improvement ; the patient stated that his submaxillary glands were not treated.Examination on February 11, 1938, revealed a slight enlargement of both parotid and submaxillary glands, but there was no definite lobulation such as Pyrah6 described in his case. The ducts of the parotid and submaxillary glands, though dilated, were not palpable. The orifices of all four were larger than normal and slightly patulous, especially the parotid orifices, from which a viscid drop of secretion usually depended.The epithelium of the cheek and tongue was normal and showed a normal degree of moisture. The submaxillary salivary glands were a little larger and firmer than these are normally, but there was no palpable enlargement of the cervical lymph-glands.On one occasion in March, 1938, the patient was seen during an acute exacerbation in the left parotid.By pressing from behind forwards over the parotid and submaxillary glands large quantities of mucopurulent saliva could be expelled. The accumulation was rapid, and such emptying could be performed at frequent intervals. It was his custom so to empty his glands regularly before each meal, and in addition this became necessary on occasion during the course of a meal. The saliva contained 3500 pus cells per cubic millimeter, and Str. viriduns was obtained on culture. The smear showed the usual mouth organisms and that of Vincent's angina. There was no gross sepsis evident in connexion with his teeth, tonsils, or accessory nasal sinuses at the time of examination. No history of an attack of stomatitis, or of an operative procedure prior to the original attack, could be elicited.A sialogram made by injecting 1-2 ...
