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High resolution ultrasound assessment of the parotid gland

Consultant Radiologist, Radiology Department, Eastbourne District General Hospital, Kings Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 2UD, UK

A variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions may present with parotid swelling. It is rarely possible to predict the nature of a swelling on clinical grounds alone and accurate imaging is necessary for further assessment. The parotid glands are superficial structures and are readily amenable to high resolution ultrasound examination. Ultrasound is able to: differentiate possible benign from malignant neoplasms; demonstrate whether a palpable lesion arises within the parotid gland, or is periparotid in location; and identify those entities that may not need surgical intervention. In this article the sonographic features of a range of parotid pathologies are reviewed and examples illustrated and the role of ultrasound in parotid assessment is discussed.