[Ultrasound diagnosis of salivary gland tumors]

The ultrasonic diagnosis of salivary gland tumors can give a more accurate information than clinical data alone. For example, it will help differentiate intraglandular from extraglandular tumors and benign from malignant processes. We conducted a prospective study in 39 patients with parotidal or submaxillary tumors. Patients were evaluated with a physical exam and a with ultrasound. Results indicate that only 53.86% of the physical examinations were correct in their diagnosis compared to 87.18% of the those done by ultrasound. Specificity and sensibility for malignancy was 96.43% and 81.81% respectively. These results were similar to those reported by other authors. We conclude that the use of ultrasound techniques in the study of salivary gland pathology is well justified, due to its capacity to provide high resolution, improving clinical diagnosis.