title: Quantitative MRI analysis of salivary glands in sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this prospective study was to characterize the MR relaxometric features of the major salivary glands in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).
  
  
  METHODS
  15 patients with SCD (aged 19.8-43.6 years) and 12 controls were imaged with the mixed turbo-spin echo pulse sequence. The major salivary glands were manually segmented and T1, T2 and secular T2 relaxometry histograms were modelled with Gaussian functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Shortened T1 relaxation times were seen solely in the submandibular glands of patients with SCD (747.5±54.8 ms vs 807.1±38.3 ms, p<0.001). Slight T2 and secular T2 shortening were seen in the parotid gland; however, this difference was not significant (p=0.07). The sublingual gland showed no changes under MR relaxometry. There was no difference in glandular volumes, and no correlation was demonstrated between history of blood transfusion and salivary gland relaxometry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with SCD exhibited changes in quantitative MRI T1 relaxometry histograms of the submandibular glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Joseph Liao, 86 Saint Botolph St, #13, Boston, MA 02116, USA. joseph.h.liao@gmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozonoff
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sakai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000473:pathology*; D013361:Sublingual Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult