Unilateral gallium-67 uptake in primary tuberculosis of the major salivary glands.

Unilateral radionuclide accumulation in salivary glands is an uncommon finding on gallium scintigraphy. The differential diagnosis includes malignant tumors and inflammatory processes of these organs. Two cases of unilateral gallium uptake of the parotid and submandibular gland respectively, verified as solitary tuberculosis, are presented, together with the correlative findings of Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy, sialography, and sonography. None of these imaging modalities is specific enough to provide pathognomonic signs for tuberculosis. When assessing unilateral gallium uptake of the salivary glands, one should be aware of the possibility of tuberculosis.