بررسی کاربرد سونوگرافی در توده های غده پاروتید

In order to evaluate accuracy and usefulness of sonography and choose it as preliminary investigation method in pathologic processes of parotid gland, 50 patients were studied in duration of 16 months. The lesions were evaluated with ultrasound and sonographic images were obtained before surgery and then were compared with pathologic results after surgery. All lesions were detected with sonography. This method could differentiate intraglandular from extraglandular lesions with accuracy of 100%. Except one case of lipomatosis which was hyperechoic, all other lesions of parotid gland were hypoechoic. All lesions with sharp and well-defined borders were benign whereas malignant processes had ill-defined borders. The results obtained show that sonography is a reliable diagnostic method to differentiate benign from malignant lesions and it has a high diagnostic value to detect warthin's tumor, plemorphic adenoma, Sjogren's syndrome and lipomatosis. Presence of calcification in a parotid mass of young patient with high probabye is related to cavernous hemangioma.