Evaluation of salivary glands in hypertension patients using ultrasonography

Aim: To evaluate the effects of hypertension and antihypertensive drug use on the major salivary glands using ultrasonography (USG) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) methods. Within this scope, individuals diagnosed with hypertension and using different numbers of antihypertensive active ingredients were compared with healthy individuals to determine differences in parameters such as gland size, area, volume, SWE values, perfusion patterns, and lymph node presence. Methods: In this study, 60 individuals diagnosed with hypertension were included in the patient group, while 60 individuals without any systemic disease were included in the control group. The parotid and submandibular salivary glands of all participants were evaluated using B-mode ultrasound; the anteroposterior, superoinferior, and mediolateral dimensions of the glands were measured, and area and volume calculations were performed. The vascularization characteristics of the glands were evaluated using color Doppler ultrasound, and the presence of lymph nodes was examined ultrasonographically. Additionally, elastographic measurements of the parotid and submandibular glands were performed using the SWE method. The obtained data were compared between groups using statistical analyses. Results: In submandibular and parotid gland measurements, higher values were observed in the patient group compared to the control group in the SWE (kPa) and SWE (m/s) parameters. It has been observed that the average submandibular and parotid gland area and volume measurements are significantly higher in males. In measurements of the right parotid gland, SWE (kPa) and SWE (m/s) values were found to be significantly higher in patients who had been taking medication for more than 10 years compared to patients who were not taking medication. The incidence of hypovascularization was significantly higher in patients who had never used medication compared to those who had used medication for at least 10 years. Conclusion: The effects of hypertension and antihypertensive drug use on the ultrasonographic and elastographic properties of the major salivary glands have been observed. USG and SWE are noninvasive, reliable, and reproducible methods for evaluating salivary glands in patients with hypertension. The findings obtained may contribute to the development of clinical approaches aimed at maintaining oral health in patients with hypertension. Keywords: Hypertension, salivary gland, ultrasonography, shear-wave elastography