Possibility of sialographic sonography: a Doppler phantom study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to develop a new diagnostic method that has the merits of both sialography and sonography.


METHODS
Saline solution and various contrast media (Urografin 76%; 100%, 90%, and 67% Lipiodol Ultra-Fluide; 5% and 1% barium sulfate; and Levovist) were injected into thin tubes at a rate of approximately 0.001 to 0.1 mL/s. The relationship between the Doppler signal intensity and the kind, concentration, and velocity of the fluid was analyzed.


RESULTS
Levovist, 90% and 67% Lipiodol Ultra-Fluide, and the barium sulfate solutions produced Doppler signals. The mixture of Lipiodol Ultra-Fluide and saline solution produced high signals at any concentration, in contrast with the barium sulfate solutions. Signals could be observed at any speed, from the speed of normal sialography down to 0.001 mL/s, and there was a proportional relationship between signal intensity and velocity for all fluids producing signals.


CONCLUSIONS
The fact that we could obtain high signals with several fluids indicates potential clinical diagnostic usefulness of sialographic sonography.
Shimizu
M
M
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Science, Kyushu University Graduate School, Japan
Tokumori
K
K
Okamura
K
K
Chikui
T
T
Yoshiura
K
K
Kanda
S
S
D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007459:Iodized Oil; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012212:Rheology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
D003287:Contrast Media; D011134:Polysaccharides; C059891:SHU 508; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D007459:Iodized Oil