What is the tail of the parotid gland?
The parotid tail is the most inferior portion of the superficial lobe. It is composed of a triangular shaped area of tissue deep to the platysma muscle, posterolateral to the posterior belly of the digastric and anterolateral to the SCM (Fig 2).
What does a pleomorphic adenoma look like?
Microscopically pleomorphic adenoma has a highly variable appearance, hence the name pleomorphic. It is characterized by mixed proliferation of polygonal epithelial and spindle-shaped myoepithelial cells in a variable stroma matrix of mucoid, myxoid, cartilaginous or hyaline origin.
What is parotid pleomorphic adenoma?
Pleomorphic adenomas are benign salivary gland tumors, which predominantly affect the superficial lobe of the parotid gland. The “pleomorphic” nature of the tumor can be explained on the basis of its epithelial and connective tissue origin. The tumor has a female predilection between 30–50 years of age.
Is pleomorphic adenoma encapsulated?
The tumor is not enveloped, but it is surrounded by a fibrous pseudocapsule of varying thickness. The tumor extends through normal glandular parenchyma in the form of finger-like pseudopodia, but this is not a sign of malignant transformation.
What does a parotid gland look like on ultrasound?
It should be hypoechoic with a homogeneous echotexture compared to the surrounding tissue, similar to a muscle’s echogenicity. Due to it’s fat content, the parotid will be more attenuative than the submandibular gland.
What is superficial Parotidectomy?
A superficial (or lateral) parotidectomy involves removing all of the gland superficial to the facial nerve, whereas a partial superficial parotidectomy involves removing only the portion of the gland surrounding a tumor or mass.
What is the normal size of a parotid gland?
The parotid gland is the largest salivary gland, averaging 5.8 cm in the craniocaudal dimension and 3.4 cm in the ventrodorsal dimension. The average weight of a parotid is 14.28 g. Usually, the healthy parotid gland is fatty, and it is irregular, wedge shaped, and unilobular (Fig. 17-1).