CT and MR findings of denervated tongue after radical neck dissection.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the CT and MR findings in the denervated tongue after a radical neck dissection.


METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated the radiologic findings in seven patients who had hypoglossal paralysis following radical neck dissection. None of the patients had clinical or radiologic evidence of tumor recurrence.


RESULTS
The side of the tongue operated on showed low density on CT scans. At MR imaging, denervated tongues were clearly seen as hyperintense relative to muscle on T2-weighted images; on T1-weighted images, the signal was hypointense to hyperintense, representing increased extracellular water or fatty degeneration.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients who have undergone a neck dissection for a malignant process, abnormal imaging findings in the tongue not only might indicate a recurrence of tumor involving the hypoglossal nerve but also suggest the possibility of postoperative change. Our findings emphasize the importance of the denervated tongue in differentiating inflammatory from neoplastic diseases of the the tongue.
Murakami
R
R
Department of Radiology, Kumamoto Japan University, School of Medicine.
Baba
Y
Y
Nishimura
R
R
Furusawa
M
M
Baba
T
T
Okuda
T
T
Takahashi
M
M
Ishikawa
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D061228:Hypoglossal Nerve Injuries; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010243:Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology
D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA