Added Value of Parotid R2* Values for Evaluation of Sjögren Syndrome: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE To explore the application of parotid R2* values for evaluating Sjögren syndrome (SS). METHODS Twenty-four consecutive SS patients and 24 sex-matched and age-matched healthy volunteers underwent bilateral parotid 3.0 T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, including blood oxygenation level dependent sequence. Parotid R2* values of SS patients and volunteers were compared. A receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of parotid R2* value alone and in combination with MR nodular grade. RESULTS The left parotid R2* value was significantly lower than the right (P = 0.006) in SS patients. Parotid R2* value in SS patients was significantly lower than that in healthy volunteers (P < 0.001). With a cutoff value of 64.14/s, the sensitivity of the parotid R2* value was 62.5% in the diagnosis of SS. By combining R2* value with MR nodular grade, the sensitivity reached 87.5%. CONCLUSIONS Parotid R2* value contributed to the diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome combined with MR nodular grade.