Submandibular salivary gland transfer: a pitfall in head and neck imaging with F-18 FDG PET/CT.

Xerostomia is a significant morbidity of radiation treatment in the management of head and neck cancers. To preserve salivary function, a surgical technique has been developed that involves the transfer of one submandibular gland to the ipsilateral submental space, where it can be shielded during radiation therapy. F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging characteristics of recently or remotely transferred submandibular glands have not been previously described in the literature. We report 2 cases of patients with surgically transferred submandibular glands, which highlight a potential pitfall in the interpretation of PET/CT of the head and neck region in oncologic patients.