Morphometric features of the human parotid salivary gland depending on the shape of the skull according to radiation research methods

Abstract

Background. Intravital study of the parotid salivary gland individual characteristics using radiation research methods can be used by clinicians for more accurate diagnosis and planning of surgical treatment of the parotid salivary gland diseases. Aim. Study of the parotid salivary glands’ morphometric parameters in people with different shapes of the facial and cerebral skull using radiation research methods. Material and methods. An analysis of the database of studies performed using magnetic resonance and computed tomography of 120 patients of different ages was carried out. Based on computed tomography data, cranial diameters were measured and cranial indices were calculated, according to which the studied material was divided into groups depending on the shape of the facial (leptena, mesena, eurienae) and cerebral (brachycranes, dolichocranes and mesocranes) parts of the skull. Based on magnetic resonance imaging data of the same patients, the morphometric parameters of the parotid salivary glands were analyzed in three planes. Groups were compared using the Kruskal–Wallis method, followed by pairwise comparisons using the Mann–Whitney method with the Bonferroni correction. Results. In the leptene group, the frontal size of the gland was statistically significantly smaller compared to similar sizes in the group of euriens (right p 0.0001, left p 0.0001) and mesenes (right p=0.0057, left p=0.012). The sagittal size of the gland was statistically significantly different between the brachy-, meso- and dolichocranial groups (p 0.0001 on the right and left). A significant tendency was revealed for a decrease in the sagittal size of the parotid salivary glands from 4.27 (3.77; 4.66) cm (right) and 4 (3.8; 4.6) cm (left) in dolichocraniform individuals to 3.57 (3.22; 3.86) cm (right) and 3.37 (3.16; 3.99) cm (left) in individuals with a brachiocranial skull shape. When measuring the frontal size in people with different skull shapes, a statistically significant difference in gland thickness between groups was found (p 0.0001 on the right and left). Conclusion. In people with different forms of the facial skull, there is a difference in the vertical and frontal sizes of the parotid salivary glands, and with different forms of the brain skull, there is a difference in the sagittal and frontal sizes of the glands.