Salivary Gland Inflammation (Sialadenitis): Classification

Classification of sialadenitis according to cause:

  • Bacterial cause
    • Due to ascending infection
    • by hematogenous (“caused by the blood”) dissemination
      • Probably in marantic overall situation (protein deficiency caused).
      • Probably in otherwise stressed overall situation (eg, after surgical procedures).
    • By lymphogenic scattering
    • Secondary by obstruction of the excretory duct (outflow obstruction by concretion or stone: sialolithiasis; by tumor; stenosis (narrowing) by injury).
    • By continuation from the environment
  • Viral conditioned
    • Mumps virus (parotitis epidemica, mumps).
    • Cytomegalovirus (cytomegalial adenitis, salivary gland virus disease).
    • Coxsackie virus
    • Echo viruses
    • Parainfluenza viruses of types 1-3
    • Influenza viruses
    • HIV virus (HIV-associated changes in the salivary glands).
  • Radiogenic conditioned
    • Radiogenic (radiation-induced) sialadenitis (radiation sialadenitis).
  • Immunological conditioned
    • Myoepithelial – Sjögren’s syndrome
    • Epithelioid cellular – Heerfordt’s syndrome
  • Inflammatory changes due to impaired secretory function.
    • In alcohol abuse
    • With diabetic metabolic condition
    • Dyschyly – secretion disorder
      • Quantitatively associated with xerostomia [chronic parotitis].
      • Qualitatively accompanied by salivary stone formation as a result of [sialolithiasis]
  • Other, rare, specific inflammatory forms.
    • Sialadenitis in tuberculosis
    • Sialadenitis in atypical mycobacterioses.
    • Sialadenitis in actinomycosis
    • Sialadenitis in syphilis (lues)
    • Sialadenitis in cat scratch disease
    • Sialadenitis in toxoplasmosis

Sialadenitis – after clinical findings of acute or chronic swelling.

Acute Increasing with food intake Stasis sialolithiasis
Acute Constant dolent (painful) reddened unilateral acute purulent sialadenitis
Acute Constant dolent diffuse bilateral viral sialadenitis
Acute Constant little dolent cyst or allergic reaction
Chronic Bilateral diffuse Sialadenosis, immunosialadenitis
Chronic Unilateral diffuse chronic sialadenitis
Chronic Unilateral circumscribed Tumor

Classification according to progression

  • Acute sialadenitis
    • Neonatal (“affecting the newborn”) parotitis.
    • Acute purulent parotitis
    • Acute lymphadenitis (intraparotid)
    • Viral infections
      • Coxsackie viral disease
      • ECHO virus infection
      • Epstein-Barr virus disease
      • Influenza
      • Parainfluenza
      • Parotitis epidemica
      • Cytomegalovirus disease
      • HI viral disease
  • Chronic sialadenitis
    • Chronic recurrent parotitis
    • Sialectatic parotitis
    • Chronic obstructive sialadenitis (sialolithiasis)
    • Chronic myoepithelial sialadenitis (Sjögren’s or Sicca syndrome).
    • Chronic epithelioid cellular sialadenitis (Heerfordt syndrome) (sarcoidosis of the salivary glands).
    • Chronic lymphadenopathy (intraparotideal).
    • microbial infections
      • Actinomycosis (radiation mycosis).
      • Atypical mycobacterioses
      • Cat scratch disease
      • Toxoplasmosis (infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan (single-celled organism)).
      • Tuberculosis