Abstract
Diagnostic imaging of the salivary glands is important in the clinical evaluation of salivary gland disorders. Imaging can aid in establishing a diagnosis and planning appropriate therapy. The roles of imaging include characterizing lesions within the salivary glands, delineating anatomic landmarks for surgical planning, evaluating for sources of salivary obstruction, and assessing for inflammatory disease-related structural changes.
In this chapter, we will discuss various imaging modalities used to assess the major salivary glands including ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sialography, and nuclear studies. Cost, radiation exposure, accuracy, reliability, and patient satisfaction should be considered when choosing the optimal imaging technique for each patient. The benefits and limitations of each imaging modality based on clinical presentation will be reviewed, and imaging evaluation of common salivary gland disorders will be discussed.
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Chang, J.L. (2018). Salivary Gland Imaging. In: Gillespie, M., Walvekar, R., Schaitkin, B., Eisele, D. (eds) Gland-Preserving Salivary Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58335-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58335-8_2
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