SJOGREN-SYNDROME - COMPARISON OF ASSESSMENTS WITH MR SIALOGRAPHY AND CONVENTIONAL SIALOGRAPHY

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) sialography with that of conventional sialography in the assessment o f salivary gland disease in Sjogren syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T hirty-five patients (32 women, three men; age range, 18-69 years) susp ected of having Sjogren syndrome were examined with MR sialography and conventional sialography. Gradient and spin-echo MR sialography was p erformed with a 1.5-T system. MR sialographic findings were compared w ith conventional sialographic findings. RESULTS: In 31 (89%) patients, the stage of salivary gland disease determined with MR sialography ac curately correlated with that determined with conventional sialography . However, the stage at MR sialography was higher in two patients:They had stage I disease but were determined to have stage II disease. In two other patients, the stage at MR sialography was lower: A patient w ith stage II disease and a patient with stage III disease were determi ned to have stage land stage II disease, respectively. The correlation between the stage at conventional sialography and that at MR sialogra phy (P < .001) can be estimated with the following equation: conventio nal sialographic stage = 0.021 + 0.982 x (MR sialographic stage). Both the sensitivity and the specificity of MR sialography in the diagnosi s of Sjogren syndrome were 100%. CONCLUSION: MR sialography is highly accurate iii the evaluation of salivary gland disease in Sjogren syndr ome.