Parotid gland incidentalomas: A single-institution experience

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Parotid gland incidentalomas (PGIs) lack well-defined management guidelines.
• Understanding their characteristics is crucial for appropriate clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess clinicopathologic features, initial evaluation, management, and outcomes of PGIs.
• To characterize the diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for incidentally discovered parotid masses.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of 34 patients with PGIs.
• Data collected from January 2009 to December 2019 at a single academic institution.
• Analysis of imaging modalities, fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), and surgical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was the most common initial detection modality (47.1%).
• Most PGIs were benign on FNAB (57.6%) and managed conservatively (61.8%).
• Malignant FNAB findings correlated with increased parotidectomy rates (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

• PGIs are identified across various imaging techniques, with MRI being frequent.
• Initial evaluation often includes MRI and FNAB.
• Conservative management is common for benign PGIs, underscoring the importance of shared decision-making.