The main etiologic factor in chronic sialadenitis of the submandibular gland is the salivary calculus. One hundred eight extirpated submandibular glands with the clinical diagnosis of chronic sialadenitis were histologically examined. The intensity of parenchymal destruction was related to the duration of symptoms prior to surgery. With the exception of four cases the glands showed histologically a varying degree of pathologic alterations. In almost one-third of the cases no acinar structures were found. The duration of symptoms ranged from 1 week to 55 years. No statistical evidence of correlation existed between the duration of symptoms and the degree of histological changes.