BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in assessing vascular distribution, vascularity, and vessel morphology of parotid tumors (PTs).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: PT patients confirmed by postoperative histopathological detection and who underwent color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), microvascular imaging (MVI), and SMI examination were recruited. PTs were classified into 3 groups: pleomorphic adenoma (PA), Warthin tumor (WT), and malignant PT (MT). The tumor vascular distribution, vascularity, and vessel morphology recorded by CDFI, MVI, and SMI were compared among PA, WT, and MT group. PT diagnosis was performed using histopathological detection. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and accuracy between SMI and MVI examination in PTs.

RESULTS: We enrolled 198 PTs consisting of 114 PAs, 56 WTs, and 28 MTs into our study. CDFI examination found no significant differences in vascular distribution and vascularity among the PA, WT, and WT groups. SMI examination found significant differences in vascular distribution and vascularity among the 3 groups. MVI found significant differences in vessel morphology, including uneven distribution of blood flow, arborization, and irregular blood flow among the PA, WT, and MT groups. SMI found significant differences in arborization and irregular blood flow, but none of the differences in uneven distribution of blood flow among the 3 groups were significant. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of SMI and MVI in PTs showed no significant differences.

CONCLUSIONS: SMI more accurately evaluated the vascular distribution and vascularity of PTs than CDFI. SMI might be a potential non-invasive diagnostic method for PTs in clinical practice.

Keywords: Diagnosis, Diagnostic Imaging, Parotid Neoplasms, Adolescent, Child, Microcirculation, Microvessels, Sensitivity and Specificity, Ultrasonography, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color