Ultrasound-guided mechanical intraductal stone fragmentation and removal for sialolithiasis: a new technique.

<bold>Background: </bold>Not all patients with sialolithiasis can be treated successfully by established minimally invasive techniques.<bold>Methods: </bold>A forceps was used under sonographic control to fragment and retrieve salivary calculi in five cases refractory to established minimal invasive approaches.<bold>Results: </bold>One patient with a sialolithiasis of the Stenon duct, two patients with a stone in the hilum region of the submandibular gland, and one patient with a sialolith in the sublingual gland were cured by this technique. For another patient, only a part of the stone in the hilum region of the submandibular gland could be removed. No relevant side effects occurred.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a new, simple, and inexpensive minimally invasive technique that proved to be at least partially successful in the treatment of sialolithiasis in cases refractory to other therapies. The technique also seems to be suitable as a primary treatment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]