Concluding remarks and recommendations

Abstract

The previous chapters have described a variety of diagnostic modalities, each having specific advantages and disadvantages. Each method is applicable in a number of disorders. Thus, there is considerable overlap of the indications for several of the diagnostic methods. The majority of disorders can be demonstrated or ruled out by certain procedures. Consequently, we have to make choices in each individual case. Also, indications differ depending on which salivary glands are affected. For instance, modern imaging techniques, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, are valuable where there is pathology of the deep lobe of the parotid gland and the parapharyngeal space (1–7); inspection and palpation tend to play a minor role in these cases. In contrast, several imaging techniques are less valuable in diagnosing pathology of the accessory salivary glands, which are easily accessible to inspection and palpation. In the literature, various decision-making procedures are proposed for the diagnosis of salivary gland disorders. These procedures tend to be controversial, since no uniform protocol is applicable to all the salivary glands. Therefore, we prefer to classify the techniques according to the site of the disorder where they are most effective. In particular, we differentiate between methods applicable to the major and the minor or accessory salivary glands.