title: Ultrasonographic appearances of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary glands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of sonography for diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) in the salivary glands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sonographic images of 74 cases were analyzed retrospectively; the features evaluated included size, echogenicity, shape, internal structure, distal acoustic enhancement, and regional lymph node enlargement and vascularization, and categorized them into 3 groups based on histology (low, intermediate, and high grade).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lesion size of low-grade MEC was smaller than those of intermediate- and high-grade MEC. MEC lesions of the salivary glands were mostly associated with heterogeneous echotexture, indistinct margins, irregular shape, and absence of distal acoustic enhancement. They sometimes showed cystic areas, calcifications, regional lymph node enlargement, or were well vascularized on Doppler. There were no significant sonographic differences in low-, intermediate-, and high-grade MEC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary MEC presents a variety of sonographic appearances, which would aid in the diagnosis of salivary MEC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Shengwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiuhua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yazhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading / Q000379:methods; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D055815:Young Adult