Ağız Kuruluğuna Sebep Olan Yüksek Doz Radyoaktif İyot Tedavisi Alan Hastalarda Submandibular Bezlerin Fonksiyon Değişiminin İncelenmesi.

Background: Oral health problems occur if the dry mouth of individuals is not controlled. However, their diet and quality of life are adversely affected. In this study, we aimed to find out the effects of radioactive iodine used on the submandibular glands and to what extent the function changes in the glands would be. Materials and Methods: Among the patients who applied to the nuclear medicine unit of the training and research hospital in 2022, patients who received high-dose (100 mCI RAI) RAI after total thyroidectomy due to differentiated thyroid cancer and were hospitalized in our clinic were included in our study. Among these patients, the salivary gland scintigraphies of those with dry mouth were removed from the system and the submandibular glands were examined. The obtained data were statistically evaluated in IBM SPSS 21.0 for windows program. Results: In this study, 15 patients who received 100 mCI were identified and the conditions of the submandibular glands were examined by scintigraphy. Dry mouth was observed in all of these patients. The function of the submandibular glands was found to be normal in 9 of 15 patients. In 6 patients, varying degrees of loss of f unction w ere d etected. Mann W hitney U t est a nd C hi-square (χ2) test analysis were used for the intergroup comparison of qualitative variables. Spearman correlation test was used to determine the relationships between the variables. The hypotheses were two-sided and a statistically significant result was accepted if p≤0.05. Conclusions: It was determined that dry mouth developed in patients who received high-dose Radioactive Iodine (RAI) 131 treatment for thyroid ca. In 6 of the patients, loss of function of the submandibular glands was observed. Recommendations were made to the patients regarding the symptoms occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]