Shear wave elastography of the submandibular gland in healthy individuals

Abstract

Objectives: Shear wave elastography is a rapidly evolving new technique. The purpose of the present study was to determine the sonoelastographic features of the submandibular glands in healthy individuals. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 45 healthy individuals, whose submandibular glands were studied using shear wave elastography. The stiffness of both submandibular glands was measured and its relationships with the age, sex, body mass, body mass index (BMI), and height of the participants were assessed. Results: The participants had a mean age of 31.82 ± 5.53 years, a mean height of 158.30 ± 7.16 cm, a mean body mass of 57.83 ± 8.84 kg, and a mean BMI of 22.99 ± 2.72 kg/m2. The mean shear elastic modulus of the right and left submandibular glands were 18.02 kPa and 19.09 kPa, respectively. Positive correlations were found between the elasticity of the right submandibular gland and the anthropometric parameters. Conclusion: The elastic modulus of the submandibular glands has been determined in healthy individuals and the data generated can serve as a reference for future studies of pathological conditions of these structures.