The anticholinergics(eg. Scopolamine, glycopyrrolate) are widely used in reducing the excess secretion of saliva in head and neck tumor patients, neurologically abnormal patients(such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy) or schizophrenia. In this study, to observe the reducing effect of the anticholinergics on the salivary secretion 20 patients were treated with anticholinergics(scopolamine patch & intramuscular injection of glycopyrrolate) and injected intravenously with Tc-99m pertechnetate for salivary scintigraphy. There was no statistical significance in the radioactivity uptakerate between before and after administration of either scopolamine and glycopyrrolate. Excretory fraction of salivary glands was significantly decreased by either drug. It is concluded that both drugs effectively reduce the excretory function of salivary glands and thus can be used in reducing salivary secretion in the head and neck patients who are subjected to operation or neurologically abnormal patients.
|