Diagnostic imaging modalities in parotid gland enlargement

Twenty patients with various parotid gland enlargement were selected from outpatient dental clinic. The classical sign of the parotid enlargement is swelling which may by localized as inflammatory, cystic, neoplastic or associated with systemic diseases as diabetes mellitus, sjogren's syndrome and may occur after ingestion of certain drugs or metals. These heterogeneous pathological swellings have great morphological variation that need various diagnostic imaging modalities to be visualized. The favoured modality has been evolved from plain radiography, to sialography, scintigraphy, ultrasonography and to computed tomography. The application and limitation of each modality were presented.