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Information about Salivary Duct Stone

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Salivary sublingual gland stones
Salivary duct calculus is a concretion of mostly calcium mineral salts (calculus) that forms within the ducts. This calculus (sialolith - pronounced SIGH-al-low-lith) is a salivary gland stone consisting of layers of calcified organic matter - calcium phosphate and carbon, with traces of magnesium, chloride and ammonium. Sialoliths are not related to kidney stones. The resulting blockage and inflammation (sialitis) causes immense pain on eating when saliva production increases and infection of the salivary gland may ensue. Pain may be further be intensified when eating sour or tart foods or candies. Other symptoms are dry mouth; bad taste in mouth; and local swelling. The causes are not known, but keeping adequate hydration seems a sensible precaution, especially in hot climates or periods of strong exercise.

The majority (perhaps 90%) form in the submandibular gland but the other glands can create them too.

Treatment

If located near the exits of the gland ducts, they may be squeezed out by finger pressure. They are difficult to visualize with xrays and sometimes CT scans or ultrasound are needed. If they are deeper, then surgery may be required. Inflammation and infection are treated with prednisone and antibiotics. If the infection destroys the gland, it may have to be removed entirely.

References

concretion is a volume of sedimentary rock in which a mineral cement fills the porosity (i.e. the spaces between the sediment grains). Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur.
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Calcium (IPA: /ˈkalsiəm/) is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078.
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A calculus is a stone (a concretion of material, usually mineral salts) that forms in an organ or duct of the body. Stones cause a number of important medical conditions.

Common stone diseases

A number of important medical conditions are caused by stones:

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The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva. In other taxa such as insects, salivary glands are often used to produce biologically important proteins such as silk or glues.
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For the band, see .
Saliva is the watery and usually frothy substance produced in the mouths of humans and some animals. In animals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the salivary glands.
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The paired submandibular glands (or submaxillary glands) are salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. In humans, they account for 70% of the salivary volume.
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X-rays (or Röntgen rays) are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz to 30 EHz. X-rays are primarily used for diagnostic radiography and crystallography.
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Computed tomography (CT), originally known as computed axial tomography (CAT or CT scan) and body section roentgenography, is a medical imaging method employing tomography where digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the
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Inflammation (Latin, inflammatio, to set on fire) is the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants.
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An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's resources to multiply (usually at the expense of the host).
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Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug which is usually taken orally but can be delivered by intramuscular injection and can be used for a great number of different conditions. It has a mainly glucocorticoid effect.
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antibiotic is a chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits or abolishes the growth of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. The term originally referred to any agent with biological activity against living organisms; however, "antibiotic" now is used to refer to
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