title: Shear wave elastography: a new noninvasive tool to assess the intensity of fibrosis of irradiated salivary glands in head and neck cancer patients.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess salivary gland parenchyma by means of sonoelastography in patients irradiated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The studied group consisted of 52 patients after radiotherapy (RT) and 54 healthy volunteers. All of the former were treated for advanced larynx (40), oropharynx (9), or maxilla (3) squamous cancers and suffered from chronic dryness. Ultrasonography (US) and elastography (ES) were performed, as well as an assessment of the amount of saliva and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) scale. There was a statistical difference between ES values in the RT group and in the controls for parotid glands (41.7 kPa versus 26.03 kPa, P = 0.0018) and for submandibular glands (37.6 kPa versus 22.4 kPa; P = 0.005). There was a significant correlation between the CTCAE scores and objective saliva amount (P = 0.0005), and the median amount of saliva in the examined group was lower than in the reference group (1.86 g versus 2.75 g, P = 0.0006). In conclusion sonoelastography adds a new parameter to ultrasonography in "one touch examination" and may be a useful tool for major salivary gland evaluation during the radiotherapy course and follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kałużny
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kopeć
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szczepanek-Parulska
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stangierski
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gurgul
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruchała
authors.affiliation: Great Poland Oncology Center, Department of Electroradiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego Street, 60-355 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wierzbicka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000528:radiation effects*; D033081:Shear Strength