Sonography, CT, CT sialography, MRI and MRI sialography in investigation of the facial nerve and the differentiation between deep and superficial parotid lesions

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 39; no. 7; pp. 506 - 511
• Main Authors: ERACLEOUS, E, KALLIS, S, TZIAKOURI, C, BLEASE, S, GOURTSOYIANNIS, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-07-1997
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic Imaging; Facial Nerve - pathology; Female; Humans; Image Enhancement; Infant; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Parotid Diseases - diagnosis; Parotid Gland - pathology; Parotid Neoplasms - diagnosis; Sialography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Tumors; Ultrasonography; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Sonography; Human; Radiodiagnosis; Parotid gland; Sialography; Stomatology; Facial nerve; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Penetration depth; Salivary gland disease; Medical imagery; Tumor; Computerized axial tomography; Diagnosis
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s002340050455

Our aim was to explore the possibility of delineation of the facial nerve within the parotid gland and to differentiate between superficial and deep parotid lesions in relationship to it, using ultrasound, CT, MRI, MRI sialography (MRIS) and CT sialography (CTS). We examined 47 patients with clinically suspected parotid tumours by US, 31 of them also by CT, MRI and CTS, and 13 by MRIS as well. Low-intensity curvilinear structures seen on T1-weighted MRI were delineated better after intraductal gadolinium injection and proved to represent parotid ducts on CTS. Using the main parotid duct as a landmark, we distinguished parotid lesions as deep or superficial to the facial nerve by T1-weighted MRI images in 69% and by MRIS in all cases. The facial nerve itself was indistinguishable from the parotid gland in all our imaging methods.