Radiographic aspects of major salivary glands in sialography

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiographic aspects of the major salivary glands in sialography and their grade of inflammation with patients’ individual characteristics. Methods: A total of 30 radiographic images of both parotid and submandibular glands from 25 patients, who underwent sialography examinations, were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-squared test was performed to correlate the grade of inflammation of each area of the salivary glands with the categorical variables: sex, type and side of the affected gland. Pearson correlation was performed to correlate the grade of inflammation between the main duct and the intraglandular duct and the parenchyma. Results: There was no statistically significant relationship between the grade of inflammation of any of the parts of the salivary glands and the categorical variables in the Chi-squared test (p>0.05). The grade of inflammation in the main duct had a weak correlation with the degree of inflammation in the intraglandular duct (p<0.05). Conclusions: Salivary glands affected by obstruction or inflammation are not significantly related to the sex of patients, not to the type or side of the affected gland. The , but sialography examination demonstrated the delicate anatomy of the ductal system and allowed an accurate visualization of sialoliths and strictures that are two of the most common causes of obstruction, showing its important role in the assessment of salivary gland status.