Diagnosis and Prognostic Evaluation for Xerostomia Using Dynamic MR Sialography

Various modalities are available for the diagnosis of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions and the accuracy of diagnosis for many kinds of diseases in oral and maxillofacial regions is readily increasing. In particular, considerable research has focused on the use of magnetic resonance (MR) images for functional evaluation, as well as morphological examination, due to the high spatial resolution of the images, the fast acquisition time, and the image processing techniques associated with the growing computational power and improvements in the MR system. Therefore, we developed and named “Dynamic MR sialography”, a new technique for the functional evaluation of salivary glands using continuous MR sialography pre- and post-citric acid stimulation on the tongue. In the present review, we focused the “Dynamic MR sialography”, and introduce the methods, applications and significances of its technique in the diagnostic process of salivary glands-related diseases. In addition, we review the significance of the prognostic evaluation for the improvement of saliva flow rate after saline solution irrigation treatment.