Evaluation of Major Salivary Gland Involvement in Patients Receiving Radioactive Iodine Treatment for Differentiated Thyroid Cancers Using Advanced Sonographic Techniques

Background: Differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC) are common endocrine malignancies. Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is used for the ablation of residual tissue following thyroidectomy. Side effects such as dysphagia, xerostomia, and sialadenitis may occur. In this study, we aimed to identify differences in the parotid and submandibular glands between healthy individuals and patients with DTC who underwent RAI therapy, using both shear wave elastography and ultra-micro angiography. Methods: A total of 52 DTC patients who had undergone RAI therapy and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. The submandibular and parotid glands were evaluated using ultra-microangiography (UMA) and shear wave elastography (SWE). Mean SWE and UMA values were obtained and compared between the groups. Results: In the DTC group, the UMA and SWE values of the submandibular and parotid glands showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Additionally, the SWE and UMA values of the salivary glands in the DTC group varied significantly depending on the time elapsed after RAI therapy. Conclusion: The combined use of UMA and SWE may be a valuable method for evaluating and monitoring salivary gland involvement after RAI therapy.