Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report

Sialolithiasis, the most common disorder affecting salivary glands, occurs when calcified formations obstruct the ducts or glands. Typically, these formations, known as sialoliths, measure between 5 and 10 mm; however, those exceeding 15 mm are classified as megaliths. While sialoliths commonly mani...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sercan Küçükkurt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Gazi University 2025-01-01
Series:Acta Odontologica Turcica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gaziaot/issue/89830/1390998
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832593527211556864
author Sercan Küçükkurt
author_facet Sercan Küçükkurt
author_sort Sercan Küçükkurt
collection DOAJ
description Sialolithiasis, the most common disorder affecting salivary glands, occurs when calcified formations obstruct the ducts or glands. Typically, these formations, known as sialoliths, measure between 5 and 10 mm; however, those exceeding 15 mm are classified as megaliths. While sialoliths commonly manifest in the submandibular glands, they can develop in any salivary gland duct, with the Wharton’s duct of the submandibular gland being a frequent site. These stones, formed from calcified organic material within the secretory system, can lead to pain, swelling, and disruptions in saliva flow. Chronic sialolithiasis, the primary contributor to acute and chronic infections in salivary glands, is closely associated with stone formation. The precise cause remains unclear, yet it is linked to chronic sialadenitis and partial obstruction. On the contrary, megaliths are exceptionally rare and tend to occur more frequently in male patients. The present article presents a case involving a 19 mm long megalith detected at the duct mouth of the left submandibular gland, which was treated through surgical intervention. Additionally, a comprehensive literature review on this specific topic was conducted.
format Article
id doaj-art-22906f4ad62f4ef9ac4c2d7dc015d081
institution Kabale University
issn 2147-690X
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Gazi University
record_format Article
series Acta Odontologica Turcica
spelling doaj-art-22906f4ad62f4ef9ac4c2d7dc015d0812025-01-20T12:57:47ZengGazi UniversityActa Odontologica Turcica2147-690X2025-01-014213642https://doi.org/10.17214/gaziaot.1390998Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case ReportSercan Küçükkurt0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-957XDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul Aydın UniversitySialolithiasis, the most common disorder affecting salivary glands, occurs when calcified formations obstruct the ducts or glands. Typically, these formations, known as sialoliths, measure between 5 and 10 mm; however, those exceeding 15 mm are classified as megaliths. While sialoliths commonly manifest in the submandibular glands, they can develop in any salivary gland duct, with the Wharton’s duct of the submandibular gland being a frequent site. These stones, formed from calcified organic material within the secretory system, can lead to pain, swelling, and disruptions in saliva flow. Chronic sialolithiasis, the primary contributor to acute and chronic infections in salivary glands, is closely associated with stone formation. The precise cause remains unclear, yet it is linked to chronic sialadenitis and partial obstruction. On the contrary, megaliths are exceptionally rare and tend to occur more frequently in male patients. The present article presents a case involving a 19 mm long megalith detected at the duct mouth of the left submandibular gland, which was treated through surgical intervention. Additionally, a comprehensive literature review on this specific topic was conducted.https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gaziaot/issue/89830/1390998salivary gland calculisialolithiasiswharton
spellingShingle Sercan Küçükkurt
Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report
Acta Odontologica Turcica
salivary gland calculi
sialolithiasis
wharton
title Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report
title_full Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report
title_fullStr Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report
title_full_unstemmed Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report
title_short Megalith of the Wharton's Duct: Review of Literature and a Case Report
title_sort megalith of the wharton s duct review of literature and a case report
topic salivary gland calculi
sialolithiasis
wharton
url https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gaziaot/issue/89830/1390998
work_keys_str_mv AT sercankucukkurt megalithofthewhartonsductreviewofliteratureandacasereport