Evaluation of submandibular and parotid salivary glands in patients with diabetes using ultrasonography

Oral symptoms and complications are among the microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus (DM), which is caused by excessive increase in blood glucose level as a result of the reduced ability of the tissues to use glucose, and some of these include dry mouth (xerostomia), salivary gland enlargement, decreased salivary flow and periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the size (antero-posterior, supero-inferior, medio-lateral), volume, echogenicity, parenchyma internal structure, margin features, shear wave elastography (SWE) value and color Doppler properties of the right and left submandibular and parotid salivary glands by ultrasonography (USG) in each group in the patient group with type 1 DM and type 2 DM, and in the healthy control group. In this study, the patient and control groups were selected from patients aged 18 years and over who applied to Gaziantep University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology for various reasons. In the examinations made with USG in both sides of the submandibular and parotid glands of a total of 80 patients (43 females 37 males), 40 of which were in the patient group (20 type 1 DM and 20 type 2 DM) and 40 of which were in the healthy control group; a statistically significant difference was observed in the right submandibular gland antero-posterior and volume mean values, right parotid gland medio-lateral and volume mean values, and left parotid gland SWE median values between the patient and control groups (p < 0.05). Statistically significant difference was found between the patient and control groups in right submandibular gland echogenicity and color Doppler variables, in right parotid gland echogenicity and color doppler variables, in left parotid gland echogenicity, marginal features, parenchymal homogeneity and color Doppler variables (p < 0.05). In conclusion, an increase was observed in size, volume and SWE values in the salivary glands of the patient group in USG examinations, while a tendency to hypovascularization was detected in color dopplers. To understand the causes of the changes in the salivary glands, the use of USG, SWE and color doppler is recommended in the evaluation of systemic diseases affecting these glands.