Diagnosis is usually made by characteristic history and physical examination. Diagnosis can be confirmed by x-ray (80% of salivary gland calculi are visible on x-ray), by sialogram, or by ultrasound.

In one report, about 20% of individuals with mealtime syndrome had strictures upon sialography. For unknown reasons, strictures seem to be more common in females.

Strictures tend to be diagnosed based on difficulty with insertion and manipulation during sialendoscopy, or by sialography or ultrasound.

Some current treatment options are:

- Non-invasive:

- For small stones, hydration, moist heat therapy, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) occasionally, and having the patient take any food or beverage that is bitter and/or sour. Sucking on citrus fruits, such as a lemon or orange, may increase salivation and promote spontaneous expulsion of the stone.

- Some stones may be massaged out by a specialist.

- Shock wave therapy (Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy).

- Minimally invasive:

- Sialendoscopy

- Surgical:

- An ENT or oral/maxillofacial surgeon may cannulate the duct to remove the stone (sialectomy).

- A surgeon may make a small incision near the stone to remove it.

- In some cases when stones continually reoccur the offending salivary duct is removed.

- Supporting treatment:

- To prevent infection while the stone is lodged in the duct, antibiotics are sometimes used.

Salivary gland atresia is congenital blockage or absence of the orifice of a major salivary gland duct or part of the duct itself.

It is a very rare condition. The submandibular salivary gland duct is usually involved, having failed to cannulate during embryological development. The condition first becomes apparent in the first few days after birth where a submandibular swelling caused by a retention cyst is noticed.

Urethral diverticulum is often an incidental finding. It can be diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging and/or micturating cystourethrography. Other studies that can be used to diagnose urethral diverticulum include intravenous urography, urethroscopy, and/or ultrasound. Conditions that should be distinguished from urethral diverticulum in a differential diagnosis include overactive bladder, Gartner's duct cyst, Gartner's duct abscess, ectopic caeco-ureterocele, interstitial cystitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, and cancer.

There are many diagnostic methods that can be used to determine the type of salivary gland tumour and if it is benign or malignant. Examples of diagnostic methods include:

Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health. The head, neck, mouth, and throat will be checked for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient's health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.

Endoscopy: A procedure to look at organs and tissues inside the body to check for abnormal areas. For salivary gland cancer, an endoscope is inserted into the mouth to look at the mouth, throat, and larynx. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing.

MRI

Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid using a thin needle. An FNA is the most common type of biopsy used for salivary gland cancer, and has been shown to produce accurate results when differentiating between benign and malignant tumours.

Radiographs: An OPG (orthopantomogram) can be taken to rule out mandibular involvement. A chest radiograph may also be taken to rule out any secondary tumours.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound can be used to initially assess a tumour that is located superficially in either the submandibular or parotid gland. It can distinguish an intrinsic from an extrinsic neoplasm. Ultrasonic images of malignant tumours include ill defined margins.

Standard, and most effective, therapy to date is glandular sialadenectomy, which is associated with fairly low operative morbidity; however, in recent times, the administration of steroid (which can shrink the inflammatory lesion and is known to reduce serum IgG4 values) has been considered favorably, and may be useful in younger patients or those who refuse surgery.

Ectopic salivary gland tissue which is located in sites other than the normal location is variously described as aberrant, accessory, ectopic, heterotopic or salivary gland choristoma.

A salivary gland fistula (plural "fistulae") is a fistula (i.e. an abnormal, epithelial-lined tract) involving a salivary gland or duct.

Salivary gland fistulae are almost always related to the parotid gland or duct, although the submandibular gland is rarely the origin.

The fistula can communicate with the mouth (usually causing no symptoms), the paranasal sinuses (giving rhinorrhea) or the facial skin (causing saliva to drain onto the skin).

The usual cause is trauma, however salivary fistula can occur as a complication of surgery, or if the duct becomes obstructed with a calculus.

Most parotid fistulae heal by themselves within a few weeks.

No treatment is required, but neoplastic processes (metastatic maliganancy to the submandibular lymph nodes and/or salivary gland tumours) should be ruled out. This is usually done with clinical exam and imaging. Very rarely, since the defect contains salivary gland tissue, salivary gland tumors can occur within an established defect but there is likely no difference in the risk of neoplasia in salivary gland tissue at other sites.

Given the difficulties of a definitive pre-operative diagnosis, the clinical entity of Küttner's tumor has so far remained significantly under-reported and under-recognized. In recent times, armed with a better understanding of the occurrences and observable features of this condition, surgeons are increasingly depending upon pre-operative ultrasonography along with Fine-needle aspiration cytological (FNAC) examinations to make an accurate presumptive diagnosis, and according to one estimate, about 44% of patients undergoing submandibular resection are found to have this condition. In the ultrasonogram, Küttner's tumor is characterized by a diffuse, heterogeneous zone of echo-shadows. The FNAC finds cells greatly reduced in number (called 'paucicellularity') along with scattered tubular ducts against a backdrop of lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and fibrous depositions. There may be a reduced but moderate number of cells and ducts enveloped in fibrous sheaths, as well as fibrous proliferation of the gland's septa. The cytologic findings by themselves may not be specific, and the diagnosis requires adjunct consideration of both the ultrasonogram and clinical presentation. Application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been tried to non-invasively examine the morphological variations in Küttner's tumor and differentiate them from those seen in malignant tumors; while MRI findings of the affected tissue and the pattern of cellular infiltration may offer some diagnostic clues for this condition, so far the results have been inconclusive.

An "accessory salivary gland" is ectopic salivary gland tissue with a salivary gland duct system. The most common location of accessory salivary gland tissue is an extra major salivary gland in front of the parotid gland. It is typically about 3 cm or less in size, and drains into the parotid duct via a single tributary. Accessory parotid tissue is found in 21-56% of adults. Any disease process which affects the salivary glands, including cancer, may also occur within an accessory salivary gland tissue.

The histologic appearance is similar to mucoceles from other locations. The spilled mucin causes a granulation tissue to form, which usually contains foamy histiocytes. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging may be useful to image the lesion. A small squamous cell carcinoma obstructing the Wharton duct may require clinical examination to be distinguished from a ranula.

They generally have a good prognosis. In one larger study, the 5-year and 10-year survival were over 90% and 80% respectively.

The simple barium swallow will normally reveal the diverticulum. It may also be found with upper GI endoscopy, or CT with oral contrast.

Patients with thyroid oncocytomas present with a thyroid nodule, usually with normal thyroid function. If the tumor is big or invasive, there may be other symptoms such as difficulty swallowing or talking.

A salivary diverticulum (plural "diverticuli") is a small pouch or out-pocketing of the duct system of a major salivary gland. Such diverticuli typically cause pooling of saliva and recurrent sialadenitis, especially parotitis. A diverticulum may also cause a sialolith to form.

The condition can be diagnosed by sialography. Affected individuals may "milk" the salivary gland to encourage flow of saliva through the duct.

Stafne's defect is usually discovered by chance during routine dental radiography. Radiographically, it is a well-circumscribed, monolocular, round, radiolucent defect, 1–3 cm in size, usually between the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and the inferior border of the posterior mandible between the molars and the angle of the jaw. It is one of the few radiolucent lesions that can occur below the IAN. The border is well corticated and it will have no effect on the surrounding structures. Computed tomography (CT) will show a shallow defect through the medial cortex of the mandible with a corticated rim and no soft tissue abnormalities, with the exception of a portion of the submandibular gland. Neoplasms, such as metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to the submandibular lymph nodes or a salivary gland tumour, could create a similar appearance but rarely have such well defined borders and can usually be palpated in the floor of the mouth or submandibular triangle of the neck as a hard mass. CT and clinical exam is typically sufficient to distinguish between this and a Stafne defect. The Stafne defect also tends to not increase in size or change in radiographic appearance over time (hence the term "static bone cyst"), and this can be used to help confirm the diagnosis. Tissue biopsy is not usually indicated, but if carried out, the histopathologic appearance is usually normal salivary gland tissue. Sometimes attempted biopsy of Stafne defects reveals an empty cavity (possibly because the gland was displaced at the time of biopsy), or other contents such as blood vessels, fat, lymphoid or connective tissues. Defects of the anterior lingual mandible may require biopsy for correct diagnosis at this unusual location. The radiolucent defect here may be superimposed on the lower anterior teeth and be mistaken for an odontogenic lesion. Sometimes the defect may interrupt the contour of the lower border of the mandible, and may be palpable. Sialography may be sometimes used to help demonstrate the salivary gland tissue within the bone.

The diagnosis of salivary gland tumors utilize both tissue sampling and radiographic studies. Tissue sampling procedures include fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (bigger needle comparing to FNA). Both of these procedures can be done in an outpatient setting. Diagnostic imaging techniques for salivary gland tumors include ultrasound, computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA), operated in experienced hands, can determine whether the tumor is malignant in nature with sensitivity around 90%. FNA can also distinguish primary salivary tumor from metastatic disease.

Core needle biopsy can also be done in outpatient setting. It is more invasive but is more accurate compared to FNA with diagnostic accuracy greater than 97%. Furthermore, core needle biopsy allows more accurate histological typing of the tumor.

In terms of imaging studies, ultrasound can determine and characterize superficial parotid tumors. Certain types of salivary gland tumors have certain sonographic characteristics on ultrasound. Ultrasound is also frequently used to guide FNA or core needle biopsy.

CT allows direct, bilateral visualization of the salivary gland tumor and provides information about overall dimension and tissue invasion. CT is excellent for demonstrating bony invasion. MRI provides superior soft tissue delineation such as perineural invasion when compared to CT only.

The primary treatment for urethral diverticulum is surgical. The surgery is conducted transvaginally, usually when there is no acute inflammation to better aid dissection of the delicate tissues.

The treatment is simple excision and exclusion of a malignant neoplasm.

Salivary gland hyperplasia is hyperplasia of the terminal duct of salivary glands.

There are two types:

- Acinar adenomatoid hyperplasia

- Ductal adenomatoid hyperplasia

The lesion is usually present in children. Ranulas are the most common pathologic lesion associated with the sublingual glands.

Thyroid oncocytomas can be benign (adenomas) or malignant (carcinomas). Grossly, oncocytic adenomas are encapsulated, solid nodules with a characteristic brown cut surface. The gross appearance of a minimally invasive oncocytic carcinoma is indistinguishable to that of an adenoma, while widely invasive oncocytic carcinomas are obviously invasive macroscopically and display pervasive vascular invasion with multifocal involvement of the thyroid gland. There are no reliable cytologic features which distinguish oncocytic adenomas from carcinomas and the only criterion for a diagnosis of malignancy is the identification of transcapsular or vascular invasion.