背景：有人推測自體免疫甲狀腺炎可能會造成唾液腺功能的受損。為了證明這項假設，以定量唾液腺閃爍造影來測量自體免疫甲狀腺炎患者之唾液腺功能，並和對照組做比較。
方法：將40位罹患自體免疫甲狀腺炎超過十年之患者分成兩組；第一組是20位有口乾舌燥症狀的患者，第二組是20位沒有口乾舌燥症狀的患者，並以36位健康的人做對照組來比較靜脈注射鎝-99m之後唾液腺的吸收及排出的數值。
結果：在自體免疫甲狀腺炎且有口乾舌燥症狀的患者發現有顯著唾液腺之吸收和排出數值降低的情形。
結論：明顯的唾液腺功能受損在自體免疫甲狀腺炎且有口乾舌燥症狀的患者中被發現，然而需要更多的研究來確認我們的發現。

Thyroiditis Using Quantitative Salivary Scintigraphy: A Preliminary Report Background: It has been speculated that impaired salivary flow contributes to autoimmune thyroiditis (chronic thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis). To test this hypothesis, salivary function was measured by quantitative salivary scintigraphy in autoimmune thyroiditis patients, as well as in age- and sex-matched controls for compari-SOB.
Methods: Forty patients with autoimmune thyroiditis history of over 10 years and 36 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. All of the 40 autoimmune thyroiditis patients had good blood sugar control. None presented with autonomic neuropathy. These 40 autoimmune thyroiditis patients were separated into two sub-groups. Group 1:20 patients with xerostomia, and group 2:20 patients without xerostomia. After intra-venous injection of 5 mci 99mTc-pertechnetate, sequential images at 1 minute/frame were acquired for 30min. The 1st and 15th minute uptake ratios (UR) were calculated from the tracer uptakes in the four major salivary glands over the background Reis. Saliva excretion was stimulated by 1 tablet of 200 mg ascorbic acid given orally 15 min post-injection of the tracer. Then, the maximal excretion ratios (ER) of the four major salivary glands after sialagogue stimulation were calculated.
Results: Impaired salivary function, represented by significantly decreased UR and ER values, in autoimmune thyroiditis patients with xerostomia was demonstrated in this study.
Conclusion: Significantly poorer salivary function was found in autoimmune thyroiditis patients with xerostomia, when compared with autoimmune thyroiditis patients without xerostomia and healthy controls; via objective and quantitative salivary scintigraphy. However, a larger series of autoimmune thyroiditis patients is necessary to confirm our findings.