Salivary Gland Scan

Parotid Scan

Test Overview

A salivary gland scan uses a special test medicine (tracer) and a special camera to take pictures of the salivary glands . This can help your doctor find the cause of dry mouth (xerostomia) or swelling in the salivary glands.

During a salivary gland scan, the tracer is put into a vein (IV) in your arm. The tracer moves through your blood and into the salivary glands. A special camera takes pictures to show how much tracer stays in the salivary glands.

In North America, a salivary gland scan is rarely done. Most often, a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is done to look at the salivary glands.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated January 10, 2006
Medical Review:	Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology
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