Year 3 Flashcards
(176 cards)
What are the organic causes of xerostomia?
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Irradiation
- Transient mumps (viral infection that leads to swelling of parotid glands)
- HIV infection
- HCV infection
- Sarcoidosis (small granulomas developing in organs of the body)
- Amyloidosis (disease caused by deposition of abnormal protein ‘Amyloid’ in tissues and organs through out the body)
- Iron deposition;
a. Haemotochromosis (slow build up of iron levels in the body)
b. Thalassaemia (abnormal formation of Haemoglobin leading to impaired RBC function)
What are the drugs associated with xerostomia?
- Diuretic overdose
- Drugs with antimuscarinic effect
- Tricyclics and some other anti depressants
- Antihistamines
- Antiemetics (used for nausea and vomiting)
- Antipsychotics (particularly phenothiazines)
- Some older antihypertensives (ganglion blocker and clonidine)
- Drugs with sympathomimetic actions
- Cold cures with ephedrine
- Decongestant
- Bronchodilators
- Appetite suppressant (particularly amphetamines)
What are functional causes of xerostomia?
- Dehydration
- Fluid deprivation or loss
- Haemorrhage
- Persistent diarrhoea/vomiting
- Phycogenic
a. Anxiety states
b. Depression - Drugs
Define signs and symptoms
Symptoms; subjective evidence of the disease (what the patient complains of)
Signs; an objective physical finding (what the clinician finds upon examining the patient)
What are symptoms of xerostomia?
- Dry mouth
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty eating
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty wearing dentures
- Mucosal stick to each other and the teeth
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Halitosis
- Sore mouth
- Deteriorating dentition
- Swelling of the salivary gland
What are the signs of xerostomia?
- Salivary gland enlargement
- Mucosa sticks to dental mirror
- Consistency of saliva is stringy, frothy and thick
- Little or no pooling of saliva in floor of mouth
- Lobulated tongue
- Shiny mucosa
- Food debris
- Plaque accumulation
- Depapillated tongue (tongue becomes smooth)
Additional findings; - Evidence of candidiasis (angular cheilitis, erythematous mucosa, thrush, denture stomatitis)
- Smooth surface caries
- Traumatic ulceration (patient accidentally biting their cheeks)
- Poor denture retention
- Bacterial sialadenitis (infection and inflammation of salivary glands)
What are developmental causes of xerostomia?
- Aplasia (problems with glands); most likely to occur brought developmental defects and malformation of 1st and 2nd brachial arches. Eg; parotid gland aplasia in Treacher Collins syndrome
- Atresia (problems with ducts); congenital absence or narrowing of a duct which causes distension in the gland and atrophy (wasting away of the gland)
What is sialometry?
Sialometry is the objective evidence of reduced unstimulated salivary flow rate.
- Whole saliva
- 15 mins (ideal)
- 5 mins (clinical reality)
- Normal; 0.3 - 0.4ml/min
- Significant reduced rate; <0.1ml/min
- Stimulated sialometry is done with sugar free gum or saliva stimulating tablet (x10 of unstimulated); 1-2ml/min
What is sialography?
Sialography is an imaging technique used to demonstrate the ductal system of the parotid/submandibular
- It involves the introduction of a radiopaque contrast medium into the orifice of one of the major salivary glands via a catheter
- Radiographs (usually lateral obliques) are taken before and after the catheter is inserted
- These determine the flow of fluid and examine the drainage of the fluid
What is Schirmer test?
It is the objective evidence of the normal functioning of lacrimal glands (whether it produces enough tears to keep the eyes moist)
- The test uses paper strips (with rose Bengal die) inserted under the lower eyelid for 5 mins to measure tear production
- The amount of moisture on the paper is then measured
- Normal; more than 15mm
- Mild; 14-9mm
- Moderate; 8-4mm
- Severe; less than 4mm
What is scintigraphy?
Scintigraphy is an objective evidence of salivary gland function
- Technetium pertechnetate is intravenously injected and taken up by the salivary glands
- Scanning of the salivary gland is carried out every 30s
- Salivary gland function is then assessed with computer-assisted quantitative programmes
- This test is beneficial for comparing diseased gland with remaining healthy gland or to detect generalised loss of glandular function (especially useful for diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome)
What are complications of xerostomia?
- Caries
- Candidosis
- Halitosis
- Sialadenitis
Which gland contributes to unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate (respectively)?
Unstimulated salivary flow rate 1. 65% from submandibular gland 2. 15-20% from parotid gland 3. 7-8% from sublingual and minor glands Stimulated salivary flow rate 1. 45-50% from parotid
How does salivary flow fluctuate during the day?
Sleep 1. 40ml over 7 hours Awake 1. 300ml over 16 hours (unstimulated) 2. 200ml over 54 minutes (stimulated)
State type of saliva secretion with each gland and the duct associated with it when applicable
- Parotid; serous saliva (Stenson’s duct)
- Submandibular; serous and mucous saliva (Wharton’s duct)
- Sublingual; mucous saliva (Bartholin’s duct)
- Minor; mucous
What radiographs are appropriate to study the salivary gland?
This is usually used to detect calculi (but not all calculi are radio opaque)
- Parotid; panoramic/oblique lateral + anterior-posterior view radiograph
- Submandibular; panoramic + lower occlusal view (true and oblique)
What are indications and contraindications of sialography?
Indications;
1. To show structural abnormalities of the duct system
2. Atrophy of salivary acini (in case of Sjögren’s a characteristic ‘snowstorm’ appearance is seen)
Contraindications;
1. Presence of acute infection
2. Patient in severe pain
3. Calculus is known to be close to the duct (contract medium may further displace the calculus)
4. Suspected ‘mass’ lesions
What are the 3 phases demonstrated by sialography?
- Preoperatively
- The filling phase
- The emptying phase
What is sialadenitis?
Sialadenitis is the term used to describe inflammation of salivary gland (most commonly the result of viral or bacterial* infection)
*bacterial sialadenitis is usually a secondary consequence of either localised/systemic cause of reduced salivary flow
What are the types of symptomatic relief options for xerostomia?
Intrinsic (increases gland activity) 1. Sugar free gum 2. Pilocarpine Extrinsic 1. Saliva substitutes a) Mucin based b) Carboxymethylcellulose based
What is the most common candidal species involved in oral candidosis?
Candida albicans
Define Sjögren’s syndrome?
Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease of the exocrine glands that particularly involve the salivary and lacrimal glands
- Primary; dry eyes (xerophthalmia) and dry mouth not associated with a connective tissue disease
- Secondary; dry eyes and dry mouth associated with a connective tissue disease (most commonly rheumatoid arthritis)
What are predisposing factors for oral candidosis?
- Physiological: old age, infancy, pregnancy
- Local tissue trauma: mucosal irritation, dental appliance, poor oral hygiene
- Antibiotic therapy: broad spectrum
- Corticosteroid therapy: topical, systemic or inhaler
- Malnutrition: haematinic deficiencies
- Immune defects: AIDS
- Endocrine disorders: diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency)
- Malignancies: leukaemia
- Salivary gland hypofunction: irradiation, Sjögren’s syndrome, xerogenic drugs
Briefly describe how a swab is carried out
A swab (moistened with sterile saline if necessary) is wiped along the surface of the lesion and placed in a suitable transport medium. The sample should be sent promptly to the microbiology laboratory for culture and sensitivity