Imaging of sialadenitis

Abstract

Sialadenitis is an inflammation or infection of the salivary glands that may affect the parotid, submandibular and small salivary glands. Imaging findings vary among unilateral or bilateral salivary gland enlargement, atrophy, abscess, ductal dilation, cysts, stones and calcification. Imaging can detect abscess in acute bacterial suppurative sialadenitis, ductal changes with cysts in chronic adult and juvenile recurrent parotitis. Imaging is sensitive for detection of salivary stones and stricture in obstructive sialadenitis. Immunoglobulin G4-sialadenitis appears as bilateral submandibular gland enlargement. Imaging is helpful in staging and surveillance of patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Correlation of imaging findings with clinical presentation can aid diagnosis of granulomatous sialadenitis. Post-treatment sialadenitis can occur after radiotherapy, radioactive iodine or surgery.

Chronic sclerosing sialadenitis (Küttner's tumor) of the submandibular salivary gland: Our experience of one case report

“…Ultrasound examination is a useful diagnostic tool and is initially used for the assessment of patients with enlarged salivary glands . Ultrasonography features show diffuse heterogeneous echogenicity with multiple hypoechogenic shadows, similar to liver cirrhosis .…”

“…On MR imaging, these lesions typically demonstrate homogeneous low‐to‐intermediate signal intensity on T2‐weighted images and low signal intensity on T1‐weighted images, with homogeneous enhancement. Areas of calcification that could be observed may simulate malignancy …”

“…Ultrasound features resemble those of a “cirrhotic liver” with diffuse involvement with multiple hypoechoic lesions against a heterogeneous background and duct dilatation . At CT, the lesions usually display like homogeneous attenuation and enhancement, and on MR imaging, the lesions typically demonstrate homogeneous low‐to‐intermediate signal intensity . It may occur unilaterally with areas of calcification that may simulate malignancy.…”

“…It may occur unilaterally with areas of calcification that may simulate malignancy. Lymphoma and the acute phase of Sjögren's syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis …”

Differential diagnosis of bacterial sialadenitis in a rheumatologist's practice: a case report

“…МРТ и КТ способствуют исключению сиалолитиаза и уточнению глубины поражения. При подозрении на бактериальный паротит сиалография противопоказана [21].…”