Increased salivary gland density on contrast-enhanced CT after head and neck radiation

Abstract

In an attempt to determine whether radiation therapy leads to an increased density of salivary glands on subsequent contrast-enhanced CT, 109 CT scans from 78 patients with head and neck tumors were reviewed. The density of parotid and submandibular glands was subjectively evaluated (compared with adjacent muscle) and correlated with treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Density of the parotid and/or submandibular glands was found to be significantly associated with previous irradiation on contrast-enhanced scans (p