Sonographic analysis of recurrent parotitis in children: a comparative study with sialographic findings.
OBJECTIVE
The sonographic features of recurrent parotitis in children were studied to clarify a relationship between sonographic and sialographic findings in this disease.


METHODS
Twenty-one glands (7 on follow-up) were examined by 7.5 MHz ultrasonography and sialography. Echo intensity level, distribution of the internal echoes, and size of hypoechoic areas were compared with the size of punctate shadows on the sialograms. Twenty other histopathologic specimens were analyzed to investigate the entity of hypoechoic areas.


RESULTS
Sonography showed hypoechoic, heterogeneous internal echoes, the level of which increased as the punctate shadows enlarged. Hypoechoic areas, all of which were larger than the sialographic punctate shadows, were observed in 62% of the glands. Histopathologic analysis suggests that these hypoechoic areas represent dilated peripheral ducts with lymphocytic infiltration. Sonography was likely to detect changes over time more sensitively than sialography.


CONCLUSIONS
Sonography should be performed as the test of first choice, both in the primary and follow-up stages, in cases of recurrent parotitis in children.
Shimizu
M
M
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Ussmüller
J
J
Donath
K
K
Yoshiura
K
K
Ban
S
S
Kanda
S
S
Ozeki
S
S
Shinohara
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D010309:Parotitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012008:Recurrence; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012796:Sialography; D014463:Ultrasonography