Vinita Sharma
Assistant professor Dept. of Radio –Diagnosis Mayo Institute of Medical Sciences Faizabad Road, Gadia, Barabanki U.P.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Salivary gland swelling presents a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions. Predicting the nature of swelling on clinical grounds alone is rarely possible hence, further assessment with accurate imaging is a necessity. Ultrasonography is a diagnostic tool that is widely available, relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, and easily reproducible. Viral infection is the most common cause of salivary gland swelling as mumps which mainly affects the parotid glands. Sialolithiasis is another cause of obstruction of the salivary duct.
MATERIAL AND METHOD:
a cross-sectional study has been conducted in the Department of Radiology. The subjects were selected from regular out / in patients visiting the Department of Radiology, Hospital for ultrasonographic evaluation of clinically suspected salivary gland lesions. All patients who were referred for USG evaluation of clinically suspected salivary gland swelling were included.
RESULTS:
A total of 70 patients with salivary gland swelling were included in our research that were divided into two groups. Group 1 included patients with parotid gland swellings 35 patients. Group 2 included patients with submandibular gland swellings 35 patients. Most of our patients were females representing 57% of the study group. Submandibular gland lesions presented with sialolithiasis 35 cases, 19 cases of parotid gland swellings presented as inflammation without stone 12 cases of acute inflammation and 4 cases with recurrent inflammation, while 4 patients only presented as sialolithiasis. Neoplastic lesions were diagnosed in 12 cases of the parotid gland group.
CONCLUSION:
Ultrasound is the investigation of choice in salivary gland swellings. Computed tomography could be needed in certain cases such as deep parotid gland lesions or sialolithiasis with small stones in the ducts of the salivary glands. Computed tomography should be done in cases suspected of malignant salivary gland lesions. Ultrasonography showed significantly high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing non-neoplastic lesions and thus, ultrasonography evaluation of salivary gland lesions helps in the decision-making of surgical intervention.
KEYWORDS: Parotid, Submandibular Gland, Ultrasonography, Salivary Glands and Salivary Tumor.