Abdomen Sonography: Salivary Glands Pathologies and Abnormalities - Video Lesson

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to our abdominal extended ultrasound series. Today's lesson will cover pathologies and abnormalities of the salivary glands, including obstructions, inflammatory conditions, and neoplasms. Let's get started. The major salivary glands include the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. Any of these can be affected by a variety of inflammatory, obstructive, and neoplastic processes. On ultrasound, sonographers look for changes in echogenicity, vascularity, and gland architecture to help identify the underlying cause of pathology. Let's begin with inflammation. Cyoladenitis refers to inflammation of a salivary gland, most commonly caused by infection or ductal obstruction. Sonographically, the affected gland appears enlarged and hypoechoic.