Salivary Gland Ultrasound in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome: Current and Future Perspectives
Michele Lorenzon, Erica Spina, Francesco Franco, Ivan Giovannini, Salvatore De Vita, Alen Zabotti
Abstract
Salivary gland ultrasound (SGUS) is the imaging modality of choice for the assessment of parotid and submandibular gland parenchyma. Being highly effective, non-invasive and easy to perform, SGUS has become increasingly popular among specialists in assessing salivary gland (SG) abnormalities, including those commonly found in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). SGUS may be useful in the assessment of pSS and its complications, the most serious being the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). SGUS may also be useful in the characterization and differential diagnosis of diffuse and focal abnormalities commonly associated with pSS, and may act as a guide for core-needle biopsy (CNB), an established, safe, and feasible technique, which provides enough viable tissue for the diagnosis and assessment of lymphoproliferative diseases of the SG. The combination of SGUS with other tools, such as sonoelastography and artificial intelligence (AI), could further improve the usefulness of SGUS in the management of pSS. In this perspective, we summarize current and future applications of SGUS in pSS.