Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2016 Jan;59(1):41-48. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2016.59.1.41.

Usefulness of Magnetic Resonance Sialography for Diagnosis of Idiopathic Chronic Sialadenitis

• Hwang JH
• Ahn HJ
• Choi JS
• Lee HY
• Lim JY

• KMID: 2277942
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2016.59.1.41

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The symptoms of salivary diseasess are often nonspecific, and a variety of investigative methods can be employed. Conventional sialography, which is still widely used for diagnosis of salivary ductal pathologies, has the withdrawback of invasiveness and radiation exposure, and thus ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) sialography can replace the conventional tools. This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of MR sialography for the diagnosis of idiopathic chronic sialadenitis.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
From November 2013 to June 2014, we have retrospectively analyzed 26 patients who have had swelling and pain of salivary glands and undergone MR sialography for further diagnosis of the idiopathic salivary obstructive symptom. We analyzed the symptom scores, salivary flow rate (SFR) and parameters of salivary gland scintigraphy. Then we evaluated correlation among MR sialography findings (duct visualization, grade of stenosis at main duct, degree of sialectasis and glandular volume size).
RESULTS
Among the 26 patients, stenosis of salivary duct was observed in 14 patients (53.8%), chronic sialadenitis without stenosis in 6 patients (23.1%), Sjogren's syndrome in 3 patients (11.5%), Juvenile reccutent parotitis in 1 patient (3.8%), and 2 patients were norma (7.7%). The degree of sialectasis was significantly correlated with Tmin (time interval, in minutes, from stimulation to minimum count), maximum secretion (p<0.05), and glandular volume size was also significantly correlated with unstimulated SFR (p<0.05). But others did not show any significant correlations. From these findings, we report three cases that were useful to diagnose the gland disease using MR sialography.
CONCLUSION
Resutls show that MR sialogarphy indirectly reflects the salivary gland function. Therefore MR sialography can be helpful when the differential diagnosis of idiopathic chronic sialadenitis is difficult with conventional tools.

Keyword

Magnetic resonance sialography; Salivary flow rate; Salivary gland scintigraphy; Sialadenitis

MeSH Terms

Constriction, Pathologic
Diagnosis*
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Parotitis
Pathology
Radionuclide Imaging
Retrospective Studies
Salivary Ducts
Salivary Glands
Sialadenitis*
Sialography*
Sjogren's Syndrome
Ultrasonography