title: MR of the submandibular gland: normal and pathologic states.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the MR appearance of normal and pathologic states of the submandibular gland.
  
  
  METHODS
  MR images of 22 healthy subjects and 21 patients with histopathologically confirmed disorders of the submandibular gland (five pleomorphic adenomas, two hemangiomas, two malignant lymphomas, one adenoid cystic carcinoma, one squamous cell carcinoma, and 10 cases of sialadenitis) were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All normal submandibular glands showed higher signal intensity than surrounding muscle but lower intensity than fat on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. Postcontrast images showed moderate enhancement of the gland. All the tumors had lower signal intensity than the normal submandibular gland on T1-weighted images and had intermediate to high (n = 8) or high (n = 3) signal intensity relative to the normal submandibular gland on T2-weighted images. Six of seven benign tumors were well defined, and three of four malignant tumors were poorly defined. In all cases of sialadenitis, the submandibular gland showed diffusely different signal intensities from the normal gland on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. Eight cases of chronic sialadenitis showed lower T2-weighted signal intensities than the normal gland, and this can be explained histopathologically by marked fibrosis and cellular infiltration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MR imaging can show the presence, extent, margins, and signal intensity changes of pathologic conditions of the submandibular gland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawana
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000328:Adult; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012793:Sialadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D013364:Submandibular Gland Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D013365:Submandibular Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media