Effect of liposomal local therapy on salivary glands in acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in Sjögren’s syndrome

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging as a monitoring tool for the effect of a liposomal local therapy in patients with dry mouth symptoms due to primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Fifty patients with pSS, diagnosed according to the American-European Consensus Group (AECG) criteria, were included. Clinical data were collected, and sonographic examination including ARFI imaging of the parotid and submandibular glands was performed. Subjective symptoms were evaluated via visual analogue scales (VAS), and the unstimulated whole salivary flow was measured. After a two-month period of liposomal local therapy, sonographic examination was repeated and both subjective and objective symptoms were re-evaluated. Before local treatment, the mean ARFI value of parotid glands was 2.96 m/s (SD 0.97). Mean ARFI value of the submandibular glands was 2.09 m/s (SD 0.71). After the two-month treatment period, a significant decline of ARFI values in the parotid glands to a value of 2.34 m/s (SD 0.70, p