Differentiating Benign and Malignant Parotid Neoplasms with Dual-Energy Computed Tomography

In the absence of a contraindication, the preferred management of parotid neoplasms is surgical resection. Up to 25% of parotid tumors are malignant ( 1 Spiro R.H. Salivary neoplasms: overview of a 35-year experience with 2,807 patients. Head Neck Surg. 1986; 8: 177-184 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar ), and the most common benign parotid tumor (i.e., pleomorphic adenoma) can undergo malignant degeneration over time ( 2 Andreasen S. Therkildsen M.H. Bjørndal K. et al. Pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland 1985-2010: a Danish nationwide study of incidence, recurrence rate, and malignant transformation. Head Neck. 2016; 38: E1364-1369 Crossref PubMed Scopus (104) Google Scholar , 3 Park K.S. Kim J.H. Lee D.H. et al. Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland. Am J Otolaryngol. 2022; 43103389 Crossref Scopus (6) Google Scholar ). Many surgeons request pre-operative biopsy of parotid masses because there are important implications for the surgical approach.