Yüksel Kaya Ebru, Geduk Gediz
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevıt University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
Clin Oral Investig. 2025 Jan 28;29(2):95. doi: 10.1007/s00784-025-06174-y.
The main symptom of diabetes mellitus (DM) is hyperglycaemia, and patients with DM often have microvascular complications, such as retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy; macrovascular complications, such as coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular disease; and oral complications, such as xerostomia, hyposalivation and periodontal disease. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the submandibular and parotid glands in type 2 DM patients and healthy individuals and to determine the changes in the salivary glands caused by diabetes.
In this study, the salivary glands of 100 patients (50 individuals with type 2 DM and 50 healthy individuals) were evaluated by ultrasonography (US). Echogenicity, parenchymal homogeneity, hypoechogenic and hyperechogenic areas, margin characteristics, and vascularity of the glands were analysed. The anteroposterior, superoinferior, and mediolateral lengths and volumes of the submandibular glands were measured.
Statistically significant differences in submandibular gland echogenicity, parotid gland vascularity, and hyperechogenic reflections of the parotid glands were observed between the groups (p < 0.05). In addition, the volume and dimensions of the submandibular glands were significantly greater in the type 2 DM group.
DM leads to changes in the salivary glands. US, which has many advantages for salivary gland imaging, is a highly effective method for investigating these changes in individuals with diabetes.
US, which is well tolerated by patients and does not involve ionizing radiation, can be used for long-term monitoring of the effects of diabetes mellitus on the salivary glands.
糖尿病（DM）的主要症状是高血糖，糖尿病患者常伴有微血管并发症，如视网膜病变、神经病变和肾病；大血管并发症，如冠心病、外周动脉疾病和脑血管疾病；以及口腔并发症，如口干、唾液分泌减少和牙周病。本研究的主要目的是评估2型糖尿病患者和健康个体的颌下腺和腮腺，并确定糖尿病引起的唾液腺变化。
在本研究中，通过超声检查（US）对100例患者（50例2型糖尿病患者和50例健康个体）的唾液腺进行评估。分析腺体的回声性、实质均匀性、低回声和高回声区域、边缘特征及血管情况。测量颌下腺的前后径、上下径、内外径长度及体积。
两组之间在颌下腺回声性、腮腺血管情况及腮腺高回声反射方面存在统计学显著差异（p < 0.05）。此外，2型糖尿病组颌下腺的体积和尺寸明显更大。
糖尿病会导致唾液腺发生变化。超声检查在唾液腺成像方面具有诸多优势，是研究糖尿病个体唾液腺这些变化的高效方法。
超声检查患者耐受性良好且不涉及电离辐射，可用于长期监测糖尿病对唾液腺的影响。
