MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF THE SUBMANDIBULAR-SUBLINGUAL COMPLEX

The submandibular-sublingual complex (SSC) was studied in vivo by magn etic resonance imaging (MRI) at 4.7 and 7.05 Tesla in rat and mouse. A correlation was found between histology and MRI signal. The mainly mu cous sublingual gland emitted a more intense signal than the mainly se rous submandibular gland. Ventral to the glands, cutis, subcutaneous a dipose tissue and two planes of muscular tissue separated by connectiv e laminae were visible in vivo. Autopsy and histology confirmed the in vivo description provided by MRI. The reactivity of the salivary syst em after pharmacological stimulation was studied in mice at 7.05 Tesla . Stimulation of salivary secretion by pilocarpine nitrate injected in the subcutaneous space ventrally to the SSC resulted in an augmentati on of the salivary liquid visible in the oral cavity by MRI. The diffu sion of pilocarpine nitrate in the connective tissue located ventrally the SC and in the glandular parenchyma was also followed in vivo. The se results show that MRI is a potentially useful tool for studying the salivary glands in vivo.