Hemangioendothelioma of the Parotid Gland in Infants: Sonography and Correlative MR Imaging

tumor of childhood, and is diagnosed on clinical grounds, supported by imaging findings. Pre-vious work has suggested that MR is the best imaging technique for assessment of parotid hemangioendothelioma. Demonstration of a reliable sonographic appearance would reduce the need for MR imaging in infants with this lesion. METHODS: We performed high-frequency sonography (including color Doppler and power Doppler imaging) in three patients, each with a diagnosis of parotid hemangioendothelioma confirmed by clinical follow-up. Two patients were also examined with MR imaging and labeled red cell scintigraphy. RESULTS: All sonographic studies showed a homogeneous mass enlarging and replacing most or all of the visualized parotid gland, with a lobular internal structure, fine echogenic internal septations, and a mildly lobulated contour. Color Doppler and power Doppler imaging showed extremely high vascularity within the mass. Correlative MR images in two infants showed a well-defined lesion with uniform intense contrast enhancement. Labeled red cell scin-tigraphy showed a well-defined area of intense activity. CONCLUSION: In the presence of a typical clinical history, sonography and clinical follow