The aim was to investigate the diagnostic imaging characteristics of Mikulicz disease (MD), especially sonographic ones, and to clarify the differences between them and those in Sjögren syndrome (SS), based on new criteria of MD.
The sonographic and sialographic images, as well as clinical, histopathologic, and serologic findings of 9 patients satisfying the new criteria of MD were analyzed and compared with those in SS.
All swollen submandibular glands showed bilateral nodal hypoechoic areas with high vascularization on sonograms and a parenchymal defect on sialograms, whereas parotid glands showed normal or slight change on both images. Nodal areas in submandibular gland sonograms were unclear on computerized tomography and on magnetic resonance imaging, but showed accumulation on gallium scintigraphy.
Mikulicz disease showed a high rate of bilateral nodal change in submandibular glands, which was completely different from SS. For detection and follow-up of these changes, sonography may be the best imaging modality.