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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003;129:937-938.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

THERE ARE several key points in the preoperative examination of a patient with a parotid tumor: (1) Is the tumor benign, or a low-grade vs high-grade malignancy? (2) Does the tumor involve the facial nerve, ie, will the patient need a nerve graft? (3) Does the tumor involve the deep lobe, and how is it related to the carotid artery? (4) Will a neck dissection be necessary?

The most efficient and least expensive evaluation consists of a history and physical examination. In 90% of patients, a careful history and physical examination will direct the physician to the next course of action—usually a superficial parotidectomy and a frozen section of the tumor followed by a deep-lobe parotidectomy if deemed necessary. No other test or imaging is needed. The frozen-section diagnosis is accurate about 93% of the time,¹ when the tumor is categorized into 1 of 3 broad groups: (1) benign, (2) . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Willard E. Fee, Jr, MD
Division of Otolaryngology
Stanford University Medical Center, R-135
Stanford, CA 94305-5328

Lynn E. Tran, MD
Stanford

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