MR Imaging of the Salivary Glands in Sicca Syndrome

Abstract

Our findings suggest a distinct entity of sicca syndrome in patients with hyperlipidemia compared with patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Characteristic MR imaging findings of salivary glands in patients with hyperlipidemia included extensive lipid infiltration and gland enlargement.

Morphological Changes of Parotid Gland in Experimental Hyperlipidemia

“…In addition, Izumi et al suggest that parotid gland is more affected by hyperlipidemia than submandibular gland [16, 17]. The above results are in accordance with the findings of Sheikh et al, suggesting a close relationship between parotid gland swelling and high levels of triglycerides in plasma [10, 16, 17]. …”

“…According to the biochemical data hyperlipidemic diet leads to an elevated serum lipid profile that might be responsible for parotid gland swelling as it is referred from Goldman and Julian, Kaltreider and Talal, Manganelli et al, and Tretbar [3, 4, 6, 19]. In addition, Izumi et al suggest that parotid gland is more affected by hyperlipidemia than submandibular gland [16, 17]. The above results are in accordance with the findings of Sheikh et al, suggesting a close relationship between parotid gland swelling and high levels of triglycerides in plasma [10, 16, 17].…”

Lessons From Diseases Mimicking Sjögren’s Syndrome

“…Lipid infiltration was rarely observed in salivary glands from patients with primary SS. The authors concluded that clinical features, functional studies, specific imaging features of the parotid gland and histopathologic features of patients with a sicca syndrome related to dyslipidemia were clearly different from those found in patients with primary SS [91].…”

“…The frequency of xerostomia was only specified by Kaltreider and Talal [89] who found that only one out of the five patients with parotidomegaly related to dyslipidemia presented xerostomia, suggesting that xerostomia and parotid swelling do not always coincide. However, later experimental studies supported the possible role of lipid abnormalities in the etiopathogenesis of primary SS [91][92][93].…”

“…In 2000, Izumi et al [91] analyzed the main clinical features of 24 patients with sicca syndrome related to dyslipidemia, including 50 patients with primary SS as a control group. They found parotid gland swelling in all patients with hypertriglyceridemia, but not in those with hypercholesterolemia, suggesting a close relationship between parotid gland swelling and high serum triglyceride levels.…”