title: Monitoring parotid gland tumors with a new perfusion software for contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CE-US) is a promising imaging modality for non-invasive analysis of functional vascularisation. Lesions of the parotid gland are associated with a vascularisation that differs from normal gland tissue. The aim of this clinical study was to further analyse the perfusion in parotid gland lesions with CE-US. The new quantification software VueBox (Bracco, Italy) was used to assess the perfusion, based on DICOM datasets of CE-US examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  CE-US measurements were performed by intravenous application of a contrast agent (SonoVue, Bracco, Italy) before surgical tumor resection. From the analysis of a time sequence of 2D DICOM contrast images, area under time intensity curve (AUC), peak enhancement (PE), wash-in-rate (WiR) and wash-in-perfusion-index (WiPI) were calculated using VueBox. These were correlated with the histological analyses of the tumor tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant difference of area below intensity time curve (AUC), peak enhancement (PE), wash-in-rate (WiR) and wash-in perfusion index (WiPI) were observed in the malign lesions compared to benign tumors (p < 0,05) and in pleomorphic adenoma compared to cystadenolymphoma (p < 0,05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CE-US seems to be a quantitative and independent method for discriminating between malign and benign parotid gland tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Laura V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Klotz
authors.affiliation: Institut of Clinical Radiology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ingrisch
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Niemoeller
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Siedek
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gürkov
authors.affiliation: Institut of Clinical Radiology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk-Andre
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Clevert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D010477:Perfusion; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Parotid gland; contrast enhanced ultrasound; imaging; perfusion; salivary gland; tumor; tumor microcirculation