Abstract: Objective To assess the diagnostic value of high-frequency color Doppler ultrasound（HCDU） for detecting parotid masses. Methods A total of 58 patients with parotid masses were analyzed by pathology and by HCDU，and the diagnostic performance of the two methods was compared. Results HCDU detected 100% of masses. Diagnostic coincidence rates were 87.2% for benign masses， 68.4% for malignant masses and 100% for cysts. Two-dimensional ultrasound detected significant differences between benign and malignant parotid masses in shape，boundary，edge and internal echo（P<0.05）.Color Doppler flow imaging （CDFI） detected blood flow signals in 82.1% of benign and 94.7% of malignant masses.HDCU showed a sensitivity of 73.7% and a specificity of 71.8% based on a peak systolic velocity≥23.8 cm/s as indicative of a malignant mass；the corresponding values were 73.3% and 85.0% based on a resistance index≥0.68 as indicative of a malignant mass（including mixed tumors）. Conclusion HCDU showed high rates of detection and diagnostic coincidence for parotid masses， and it proved helpful for assessing the characteristics of parotid tumors.

Key words: Parotid masses, High-frequency color Doppler ultrasound, Color Doppler flow imaging, Diagnosis