[Role of sonography in the evaluation of parotid gland in HIV+ children undergone highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)].

Purpose: To evaluate the role of sonography (US) in the evaluation of parotid gland alterations in HIV+ children, in order to show their presence, severity, specificity, relationship with clinical and laboratory data and sensitivity to new drugs.

Material And Methods: From June 2000 to December 2000 twenty-two consecutive HIV+ children (12 males and 10 females, mean age 9.7) undergoing HAART were prospectively examined with US. A multi-frequency linear probe (7.5-10 MHz) was used for the examination. The glands were assessed for alterations in gland volume and vasculature, hypoechoic foci, hyperechoic striae, lympho-epithelial cysts and solid nodules and the enlargement of intraparotid and adjacent lympho nodes. The US findings on HIV+ patients were compared with the patients'clinical and laboratory data and with US exams performed on HIV- children. Finally, we made a comparison with US exams performed on the same patients before HAART:

Results: In HIV+ children the most frequent US findings were hypoechoic foci (68.2% of patients), hyperechoic striae (68.2%) and the enlargement of intraparotid and adjacent lympho nodes (86.3% and 95.4%, respectively). No relationship between US outline and clinical and laboratory data was found. In the control group (HIV-negative children) hypoechoic foci and hyperechoic striae were rare (4.7% and 14.3%, respectively), while the enlargement of intraparotid and adjacent lympho nodes was very common (76.2% and 100%, respectively). The comparison with US exams performed on the same patients before HAART showed an improvement in 59.1% of patients, no improvement in 13.6% and a worsening in 13.6% (3 patients were lost to follow-up).

Discussion And Conclusions: US is useful in the study of parotid gland alterations in HIV+ children. The most frequent specific US findings were hypoechoic foci and hyperechoic striae, whereas the enlargement of intraparotid and adjacent lympho nodes was frequent but completely aspecific. The analysis of results did not show any relationship between the US findings and clinical and laboratory data. HAART can be correlated to an improvement and/or a stabilization of the US pattern in most patients.