Subtotal parotidectomy in the treatment of chronic sialadenitis.

Chronic recurrent parotitis can be disabling, and often requires surgery for its resolution. Twenty-one patients with chronic sialadenitis treated by subtotal parotidectomy were studied. Two patients developed transient and one significant postoperative recurrent parotitis, and two patients had salivary fistulas. There were no instances of permanent facial nerve weakness. Parotidectomy in patients with severe chronic sialadenitis risks injury to the facial nerve. When the nerve is indistinguishable from surrounding scar, subtotal parotidectomy would appear to be preferable to total parotidectomy in select patients. Total parotidectomy is the procedure of choice for elimination of chronic sialadenitis when it can be performed with minimal risk to the facial nerve.