Ultrasound of salivary glands

Wong KT; Ahuja AT; Yuen HY; King AD
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China

INTRODUCTION
Salivary gland masses are commonly encountered by surgeons and radiologists in daily practice. Clinical examination alone is often insufficient to identify the origin and nature of the mass. Imaging is required in the vast majority of cases. Being paired superficial structures, the parotid and submandibular glands are suitable for high-resolution ultrasound examination and its role is well established1,2. The ultrasound examination can be easily combined with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) further enhancing its ability to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions.