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Gland-Preserving Salivary Surgery pp 185–192Cite as

Sialorrhea

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Abstract

Key Points

  1. 1.

    Sialorrhea is a common condition affecting both children and adults with neuromuscular disorders including cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

  2. 2.

    Sialorrhea is a highly distressing problem that can lead to significant psychological, social, and medical issues.

  3. 3.

    A multidisciplinary approach involving speech therapy, neurology, otolaryngology, and others is advisable to help with the complex decision-making process.

  4. 4.

    In most cases, noninvasive therapeutic modalities such as physiotherapy and systemic medication should be explored prior to more invasive therapies such as the injection of botulinum toxin and surgery.

  5. 5.

    There is no consensus as to the best surgical procedure to treat sialorrhea. Procedure selection should be guided by patient characteristics including severity of drooling, presence of aspiration, and overall medical condition. It is imperative to give patients and their families clear expectations of treatment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alabama—Birmingham, 563 BDB, 1530 3rd Ave S, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0012, USA

    Kirk Withrow M.D. & Thomas Chung M.D.

Authors
  1. Kirk Withrow M.D.
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  2. Thomas Chung M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kirk Withrow M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

    M. Boyd Gillespie

  2. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Rohan R. Walvekar

  3. School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Barry M. Schaitkin

  4. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    David W. Eisele

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Withrow, K., Chung, T. (2018). Sialorrhea. In: Gillespie, M., Walvekar, R., Schaitkin, B., Eisele, D. (eds) Gland-Preserving Salivary Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58335-8_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58335-8_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58335-8

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