Venous malformation phleboliths mimicking submandibular sialadenitis in children.

To report one paediatric patient who presented with a rare venous vascular malformation as a mass in the left submandibular region with a clinical picture compatible with sialadenitis. Phleboliths are a specific feature of venous malformations due to venous stasis and may mimic sialoliths on various imaging modalities. Thus venous malformations are often misdiagnosed as sialadenitis due to sialolithiasis. Sialoliths are extremely rare in paediatric patients. In an early adolescent presenting with a submandibular mass and suspected sialadenitis arising from sialoliths, a detailed history, clinical examination and careful review of the radiological findings will allow the diagnosis of venous vascular malformation and provide the complete surgical resection. Our patient was initially referred with a presumed diagnosis of submandibular sialadenitis, and instead a venous malformation with phlebolith was diagnosed.