Focused review of investigation, management and outcomes of salivary gland disease in specialty-specific journals

We review papers on diseases of the salivary glands published in journals relating to the head and neck, which are commonly read by members of our specialty. Most of the papers focus on the investigation and treatment of diseases of the parotid gland, which reflects the relative prevalence of parotid lesions among salivary gland diseases. Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly of interest. There is a lack of clinical trials that address the many controversies concerning salivary gland surgery, and much of the evidence for treatment is based on small case series and expert opinion, partly because of the relative rarity of salivary disease and the disparate groups that treat it. This problem could be addressed if regional and national oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) units, and possibly other specialties, could collaborate more closely and combine data.