Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41222635›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Taller-than-wide as a red flag for malignancy in ultrasound of parotid gland tumors.

Andreas Spörlein, Valentin Burkhardt, Tobias Schulz, Naglaa Mansour, Kathrin Gerstacker, Andreas Knopf

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Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Andreas SpörleinDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. andreas.spoerlein@uniklinik-freiburg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8077-8781
Valentin BurkhardtDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Tobias SchulzDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Naglaa MansourDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Kathrin GerstackerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Andreas KnopfDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePreoperative evaluation of malignancy in parotid gland tumors is challenging due to heterogeneous and non-specific tissue characteristics. The taller-than-wide (TTW) criterion, validated in thyroid and breast tumors, may also be relevant for parotid gland tumors, as malignant growths typically invade beyond microanatomic boundaries. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this retrospective study, 140 parotid neoplasms were evaluated via preoperative ultrasound and definitive histopathology. TTW was defined as the dimension perpendicular to the skin exceeding the largest parallel dimension. TTW was incorporated into a previously validated risk score, and additional clinical and sonographic features associated with malignancy were identified.

resultsMalignant tumors more frequently exhibited TTW than benign tumors (27.3% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.01). The mean TTW ratio was higher in malignant lesions (0.81 ± 0.29) compared with benign lesions (0.67 ± 0.17, p < 0.01). Using a TTW ratio cutoff of 1 yielded high specificity (96.6%) but low sensitivity (27.3%). A multiparametric risk score including TTW demonstrated excellent discriminatory ability (AUC 0.89) with a sensitivity of 81.2% and specificity of 89.0%.

conclusionTTW should be considered an adjunctive red flag for malignancy in parotid gland tumors but lacks sensitivity for standalone use. A composite risk score integrating TTW and other readily assessable parameters offers robust preoperative risk stratification, potentially guiding the extent of surgical intervention.

Indexed as

Parotid GlandParotid NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityUltrasonographyHead and neck ultrasoundMultiparametric scoring systemParotid gland tumorsTaller-than-wide signUltrasound risk stratification

Identifiers

PMID41222635
PMCPMC12904917

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.