Non-Invasive Characterization of Parotid Gland Tumors Using Imaging-Based Techniques.

BACKGROUND

Parotid gland tumors constitute a significant proportion of head and neck neoplasms, and accurate non-invasive differentiation is essential for appropriate clinical management. Recent advances in ultrasound techniques, including shear-wave elastography (SWE), have shown promising diagnostic potential.

AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of long-to-short axis ratio (L/S) and shear-wave velocity (SWV) values obtained by virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ) in differentiating pleomorphic adenoma (PA), Warthin tumor (WT), and malignant tumors (MT) of the parotid gland.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study included 66 parotid masses from 63 patients who underwent conventional ultrasound and SWE examinations. B-mode features, Doppler vascular patterns, L/S ratios, and SWV values were recorded and compared with histopathological findings. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine optimal cutoff values, sensitivity, and specificity.

RESULTS

The cutoff value for differentiating WT and PA was 1.57 for the L/S ratio (sensitivity: 83.33%, specificity: 88.46%, p < 0.001). For distinguishing MT from PA, the L/S cutoff was 1.68 (sensitivity: 50.00%, specificity: 96.15%, p < 0.001). The optimal SWV cutoff for WT and PA differentiation was 5.02 m/s (sensitivity: 91.67%, specificity: 73.08%, p < 0.001), while for MT and PA differentiation, it was 6.30 m/s (sensitivity: 84.62%, specificity: 62.50%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The combined use of L/S ratio and SWV values obtained by VTIQ provides a reliable and non-invasive diagnostic approach for differentiating parotid gland tumors and may help reduce unnecessary biopsies.