Behandeling van overmatige speekselvloed bij patiënten met parkinsonisme

Between 50% and 60% of patients with parkinsonism suffer from severe drooling (sialorrhoea). Sialorrhoea is a major social problem with medical risks as well, e.g. aspiration pneumonia. Sialorrhoea is not caused by increased production of saliva, but by impaired swallowing, leading to storage of saliva in the anterior part of the mouth. Sialorrhoea can be treated by anticholinergics, botulinum toxin injections, surgery and radiotherapy of the salivary glands. The optimal treatment of sialorrhoea needs to be determined individually, for which a decision tree is available