HIGH-FREQUENCY COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY OF THE SUBMANDIBULAR-GLAND - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SALIVARY SECRETION AND BLOOD-FLOW

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes of bl ood flow of the submandibular gland in comparison with salivary secret ion after gustatory stimulation through use of color Doppler sonograph y. Study design, High-frequency color Doppler sonography was performed on 30 healthy volunteers, aged 22 to 31 years. The prestimulation and poststimulation arterial blood flows were evaluated with color Dopple r sonography and spectral analysis. Results. The means of prestimulati on maximum and minimum velocities and pulsatility index of the submand ibular gland were 6.35 +/-: 2.57 cm/sec, 1.79 +/- 0.93 cm/sec, and 1.5 3 +/- 0.42, respectively. After the stimulation, the color signals and velocities increased and the pulsatility index decreased. There was a close correlation between the increase in minimum velocity and that o f salivary secretion. Conclusion, Color Doppler sonography is useful i n analyzing changes in the blood flow of the submandibular gland cause d by gustatory stimulation.