Submandibular Sialadenitis/Sialadenosis Differential Diagnoses

Updated: Apr 18, 2022
  • Author: Adi Yoskovitch, MD, MSc; Chief Editor: Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA  more...
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DDx

Diagnostic Considerations

The differential diagnosis of submandibular sialadenitis and sialadenosis includes the following:

  • Infectious (acute) cause - Bacterial or viral disease

  • Inflammatory cause - Sialolithiasis, radiation-induced disease

  • Autoimmune cause - Sjögren disease, lupus

  • Granulomatous cause - Tuberculosis, tularemia, sarcoidosis, catscratch disease, actinomycosis

  • Drug-related cause - Thiourea

  • Neoplastic (benign) cause - Pleomorphic/monomorphic adenoma, oncocytoma, ductal papilloma, hemangioma, foreign body, ranula, lymphoepithelial cyst

  • Neoplastic (malignant) cause - Adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, malignant oncocytoma, squamous cell carcinoma

  • Endocrine cause - Hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus

  • Metabolic cause - Vitamin deficiency, cirrhosis, obesity, bulimia, malabsorption