CURRENT ISSUES IN RADIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF SALIVARY STONE DISEASE: REVIEW ARTICLE

Relevance. Salivary stones, also known as sialoliths, pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to the lack of a definitive etiology and the limitations in preventive measures. Numerous studies have presented diverse and often conflicting explanations for the formation of salivary stones, hindering the development of effective preventive strategies. Objective of this study is to synthesize existing literature on the etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of salivary stone disease. Materials and methods. A systematic review of the available literature was conducted to explore current perspectives on salivary stone disease. The review synthesized and systematized contemporary views on the etiology of the disease, its pathogenesis, preventive strategies, and treatment approaches. Results. Most of the authors, analyzing the main causes and accompanying factors of the occurrence of salivary stone disease, suggest to use various radiological diagnostic methods for its diagnosis. Radiological methods of research are key in the plan of carrying out differential diagnosis of salivary stone disease with other diseases and determining an adequate method of treatment. Conclusion. The review of scientific publications allows us to state that currently there are a large number of diverse and contradictory opinions about the etiology of the occurrence of salivary stone disease, and its pathogenesis is poorly studied. The methods of diagnosis of salivary stone disease proposed by the authors of scientific publications are based on the desire to find optimal and minimally invasive methods of early and accurate diagnosis of the disease.