[Tissue reactions with administration of piezoelectric shock waves in lithotripsy of salivary calculi].

Before clinical application of an extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripter to treat sialolithiasis, tissue reaction during shockwave application was examined in vitro and in experiments with animals. Application of shockwaves to human tissue in vitro showed neither macroscopic nor microscopic effects. In animal experiments, the acute experiment (16 rabbits, Chinchilla-Bastard) revealed minor bleeding in the parenchyma of the parotid gland, while the chronic experiment (14 rabbits, Chinichilla-Bastard) revealed no morphologic tissue damage to the parotid region of the rabbit, as a result of piezoelectric shockwaves. However, when the eye was placed in the shockwave focal area and the shockwaves were transmitted via the fissura orbitalis to the endocranium, brain damage could be detected morphologically. In conclusion, the authors feel that the clinical application of extracorporeal piezoelectric fragmentation of salivary stones is justified, provided that a reliable positioning of the patient and exact sonographic location of the concrement are possible.