Advanced imaging in parotid masses

Purpose:Imaging methods have a significant role in distinguishing if they are benign or malign and determining the treatment of parotis tumors. However, conventional methods remain insufficient due to the fact that radiologic findings of the lesions sometimes overlap.We aimed to research the correlation between histopathlogical findings and radiological findings with additional diagnostic value of diffusion weighted imaging.Material and Method:Routine neck MRI was performed with GE Signa HDX 1.5 T MRI machine for 27 patients with the pre-diagnosis of parotid mass lesion. The routine protocol includes precontrast sagittal T2, transverse T1-T2, transverse STIR, transverse T1 fat sat, coronal T1, diffusion b=800, postcontrast transverse coronal fat sat T1, saggital T1 weighted images. ADC values of the lesions were calculated.Findings:18 out of 27 parotid lesions were benign while 9 of them were malignant. After diffusion weighted MRI imaging with the value of b 800, measurement was done at the center of the lesions.Average ADC value of the benign lesions had been calculated as 1,69x10?³±0,56 mm²/sn, while average ADC value of the malignant lesions had been calculated as 0,77x10?³±0,15 mm²/sn.When cut-off value of ADC is taken as 1,03x10?³mm²/sn in distinguishing malignant and benign lesions, differentiation sensitivity happened to be 100% and specifity 84%.Result:Diffusion weighted imaging in parotid mass lesions is a method which is considered to be available in short term, needless of contrast material and have additional benefits to convantional sequences and to diagnosis.Key Words: Parotid, Diffusion Weighted Imaging, ADC.