EVALUATION OF ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS OF SALIVARY GLANDS IN HEALTHY POPULATION SAĞLIKLI POPÜLASYONDA TÜKÜRÜK BEZLERİNİN ULTRASONOGRAFİK BULGULARININ DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Objective: To investigate the ultrasonographic changes that may occur in the salivary glands in healthy individuals depending on age and gender. Material and Method: In this study, the parotid and submandibular glands (240 parotid and 240 submandibular glands, right and left) of 120 patients of different age groups, who did not use alcohol or smoke, and did not have a history of continuous drug usage were examined by ultrasonography (USG). Changes in echogenicity, homogeneity, hyperechoic reflection, presence of hypoechoic area parameters depending on age, gender and Body Mass Index (BMI) were investigated. Result: In healthy individuals, all parotid and submandibular glands were observed to be isoechoic. With age, the homogeneity of the submandibular and parotid glands deteriorated, becoming more heterogeneous. Hyperechoic reflection was more common in submandibular glands in males. In the parotid gland, hypoechoic area was observed more with aging. It was determined that the clearness of submandibular and parotid glands borders decreased with age and BMI. Conclusion: Every ultrasonographic change that we see in the salivary glands of patients may not be an indicator of a pathological sign. There may be some physiological changes in the USG appearance of the salivary glands of healthy individuals depending on age and gender. In cases where salivary gland pathologies are suspected based on USG findings, the diagnosis can be confirmed with additional tests.