[Functional digital subtraction sialography in the diagnosis of salivary gland diseases]

Functional digital subtraction sialography with a water soluble radiopaque agent (verografin) made it possible to investigate the structure and functional changes in the salivary glands of 26 patients with a minimum injury of the glands. The method permitted a decrease in a dose of the agent 4 times as compared to routine sialography; the consumption of x-ray film was decreased 5-fold. Digital processing of images helped avoid superimposing of the cranial bone components, improving the quality of images of the salivary glands. The method is indispensable during differential diagnosis, especially at early stages of diseases of the salivary glands.