ACTA FAC. MED. NAISS. 2004; 21 (4):205-213

     Original article

Slađana Petrović¹, Dragan Petrović², Zoran Pešić²

¹Institute of Radiology, Clinical Centre, Faculty of Medicine Niš, Serbia and Montenegro
²Dentistry Clinic, Dept. of Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Niš, Serbia and Montenegro

    SUMMARY

    Aim of this study is to determine color Doppler characteristics of pleomorphic adenomas and possibilities of their differentiation from other salivary gland tumors.
    This prospective study enrolled 52 patients with salivary gland tumors, who have been exemined by color Doppler sonography before surgical treatment. Examinations were made with 7.5 MHz linear probe with Doppler imaging. Intratumor vascularity was graded on a four step analog scale, and patterns of vascular distribution were characterized as peripheral (basket-like) or hilar (branching).
    After surgical treatment and histopathologic verification, it was established that 28 patients (53.84%) had had pleomorphic adenomas. Fifteen patients (53.57%) had pleomorphic adenomas with the first grade, and 10 (35.71%) with the second grade of vascularity. Three patients (10.71%) did not have any presence of color Doppler signals, while there were no cases of third grade vascularity. As for the pattern of vascularity, pleomorphic adenoma demonstrated peripheral pattern of vascularity in 21 cases (75%).
    A statistically significant difference (p< 0.01) was found in the patterns of vascularity between the pleomorphic adenoma and other histological types of salivary gland tumors. All pleomorphic adenomas had low or medium grade of vascularity.
    Our experience suggests that color Doppler sonography is a sensitive method in diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma. On the basis of the grade and pattern of vascularity, it is possible to distinguish, with great certainty, pleomorphic adenomas from other salivary gland tumors.

    Key words: color Doppler, pleomorphic adenoma, salivary gland tumor