[Application scintigraphy in evaluation of salivary gland function]

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2010 Mar;28(165):214-9.
[Article in Polish]

Abstract

The salivary glands belong to the exocrine glands. There are tree main pairs of salivary glands: parotid, submandibular, sublingual. Several modalities are used for salivary gland imaging, such as sonography, computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The aim of these methods is mainly to present morphological impairment. Parenchymal function and excretion function of all salivary glands can be quantified by scintigraphy. After single intravenous injection of 99mTc-pertechnetate sequential images are acquired up to 25-40 minutes. Usually about fifteen minutes postinjection 3 ml of lemon juice are administered intraorally as sialogogue. Salivary scintigraphy can estimate the severity of salivary gland involvement and function disorders, which may not be accurately reflected by the morphological damage. The clinical impact of scintigraphy has been reported in multiple salivary glands diseases, such as Sjogren's syndrome, sialolithiasis with or without parenchymal damage, iatrogenic irradiation of the salivary glands for therapy of head and neck tumors or radioiodine treatment of thyroid cancer. No other method can give so much information about function of salivary glands. Scintigraphy is noninvasive examination, easy to perform, reproducible and well-tolerated by the patient.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Salivary Gland Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Salivary Glands / diagnostic imaging*
  • Salivary Glands / physiopathology*
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / diagnostic imaging
  • Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m

Substances

  • Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m