Common Misdiagnoses of Sialadenitis

Sialadenitis is the medical term used to describe a condition defined by an acute or chronic inflammation of one or multiple salivary glands in the face. Sialadenitis is primarily caused by infections from bacteria and viruses; however, the inflammation can be caused by adverse reactions to medications, birth defects and disorders of the autoimmune system. Some of the viral infections that can cause sialadenitis include the mumps, herpes, AIDS or HIV. Poor oral hygiene is also a major cause of sialadenitis in people that do not suffer from these illnesses. In instances of chronic or reoccurring sialadenitis, the condition is caused by salivery stones that build up in the gland over time without treatment. Symptoms of this medical condition can range in severity depending on the severity of the medical condition.

Proper Procedure for Diagnosis

Medical professionals use a certain string of procedures in order to correctly identify and diagnose sialadenitis.

1. The first step in the procedure is for the doctor or dentist you are seeing to ask you about your symptoms. 
2. The doctor or dentist can then feel your face in order to determine how swollen the glands are manually. 
3. The next step is to perform testing that can be done either by testing your saliva or by testing the blood to determine the presence of bacteria. 
4. If your doctor or dentist determines that the condition you suffer from is sialadenitis, he may refer you to a specialist to treat your condition. 
5. This specialist will generally send you for a computerized tomography scan of the neck and head to determine just how swollen the glands are and to decide on a method of treatment that will best help to resolve the problem.

Misread, Delayed or Missed Diagnosis

Sialadenitis presents symptoms that are comparable to the same symptoms as other oral medical conditions. This is why the doctor cannot go on symptoms alone. Going on symptoms alone could lead to a misdiagnosis of other oral conditions, up to and including cancer. Missed or delayed diagnosis could also lead to the infection becoming more severe and turning into an abscess. If this happens, this could require you to be hospitalized in order to have the abscess surgically drained (in order to stop the pain).

Consequences of Delayed Treatment and Misdiagnosis

Sialadenitis should be treated as soon as it is diagnosed to stop it from becoming a more painful condition that requires more extensive treatment to get rid of.  If sialadenitis is left untreated, it could develop into a painful abscess and in order to get rid of an abscess, it is often necessary for the patient to undergo minor surgery to have the abscess drained. However, if sialadenitis is detected early, the more extreme pain and swelling of an abscess can be prevented and the infection can be eliminated with a prescription of antibiotics. If your doctor fails to diagnose your condition in a timely manner (when any reasonable doctor would have and you suffer increased damages like an abscess or increased pain), you may have a case for medical malpractice. 

Getting Legal Help

If you believe your doctor has committed malpractice, you need to call a lawyer. Your lawyer can assess your situation, determine if you have a case and help you to get the damages you deserve.