Statistical study for sonographic differential diagnosis of tumorous lesions in the parotid gland.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to clarify characteristic sonomorphologic features of parotid lesions statistically and to propose new criteria for the differential diagnosis.


METHODS
Eighty-six tumorous lesions were analyzed with regard to the following sonomorphologic features: boundary, shape, echo intensity level, distribution of internal echoes, and acoustic enhancement. Stepwise polychotomous logistic regression analysis was performed to assess characteristic sonographic features. As dependent variables, we used "pleomorphic adenoma," "Warthin tumor," "malignant tumors" and "other benign lesions"; as predictor variables, we used the aforementioned sonomorphologic features. Proportion of the occurrence of each dependent variable was calculated.


RESULTS
Lobular shape and homogeneous internal echoes predicted pleomorphic adenoma. A lesion with multiple anechoic areas would be Warthin tumor with very high sensitivity. Malignant tumors showed either heterogeneous internal echoes without characteristic structures or polygonal shape.


CONCLUSIONS
These sonomorphologic features should be observed to make more exact differential diagnoses for operation and therapy planning.
Shimizu
M
M
Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Ussmüller
J
J
Hartwein
J
J
Donath
K
K
Kinukawa
N
N
D000162:Acoustics; D000235:Adenolymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010305:Parotid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography