Quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy.
OBJECTIVE
Uptake of 99mTc-pertechnetate in salivary glands reflects intact salivary gland parenchyma. However, no standardized protocol for an accurate quantification of parenchymal function has been established so far.


METHODS
In this paper we report on a validated acquisition protocol supplying a normal database for standardized quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy.


RESULTS
The major advantage of salivary gland scintigraphy, as compared to other imaging modalities, is that both parenchymal function and excretion fraction of all four major salivary glands (i.e., parotid and submandibular glands) can be simultaneously quantified with a single intravenous injection.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy is demonstrated to be a suitable imaging modality for research applications in evaluating the effects of radioprotective drugs on salivary glands. Salivary gland scintigraphy is easy to perform, reproducible and well-tolerated by the patient.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015494:Salivary Gland Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging