The functions of the major salivary glands were studied using 99mTc-pertechnetate in 8 patients with Sjogren's syndrome and 13 patients with no history of salivary gland disease were used as control group. Sequential scintigraphy using a gamma scintillation camera was obtained. Simultaneously, the data were stored in computer at 12 seconds/frame and later replayed to obtain time-activity curves for the regions of interest over the parotid and submandibular glands, as well as backgrounds of the

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... ead and cervical region. The examination was commenced immediately after injection of 5 to 10 mCi of 99mTc, and were continued up to 30 minutes. Salivation was stimulated with oral administration of 25% tartaric acid at 20 minutes after the injection. In addition, the data obtained were expressed as an activity index for each gland, which were the ratio between the pre-and post-stimulation activity counts. There was a direct relationship between the scintigraphic findings and the results of the time-activity curves in each group, although the results were differed between two groups. In control group, the glandular curves generally showed consistent shapes, in which the activities over the parotid and submandibular glands continuously increased in succession with the sharp increase occurring within 1-minute after injection, and subsequently decreased abruptly following stimulation. The increase was usually equal in the right and left side of either parotid or submandibular glands, but it was less marked in the submandibular glands. On the other hand, the results in patients with Sjogren's syndrome differed markedly from those of control group. Activities over the major salivary glands were found to be less than those of control group or could not be distinguished from background activities and no changes were observed in activities following stimulation. In 5 out of 8 patients, glandular curves of the parotid and submandibular glands maintained a plateau during entire period of examination, excluding a sharp increase occurred immediately after injection. In the other 2 cases, however, these curves showed the gradual increase for the first 10 minutes, subsequently becoming a plateau in shape. The activity indices were differed significantly between Sjogren's syndrome group and control group. From these results, it may be concluded that the method is safe, easy, and objective means in evaluating the salivary gland function,