Evaluation of static bone cavities with CT and MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To determine by CT and MRI the contents of static bone cavities (SBCs), which are thought to be formed by aberration of the submandibular gland.


METHODS
Non-contrast-enhanced and contrast-enhanced CT was performed on 12 subjects (10 male and 2 female; age 18-64 years; mean age 57 years) in whom SBCs had been discovered incidentally on panoramic radiographs during routine dental treatment. MRI was also performed on 3 of the 12 subjects.


RESULTS
No submandibular gland tissue was seen in the SBCs in any of the cases. However, fatty tissue of low attenuation was found in the SBCs in all cases on CT images. Blood vessels were seen in the SBCs in 10 cases, and enhanced soft tissue in contact with the bone cavity wall was seen in the SBCs in 2 cases. Blood vessels in the SBCs were observed on MR images in all three cases. Dilatation of the cavity blood vessels was seen in all 10 cases. Slight tortuosity of the blood vessels was seen in 4 of the 10 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Examination of contrast-enhanced CT images and MR images revealed that the contents of SBCs were not aberrations of the submandibular gland, as has generally been thought, but fatty tissue, blood vessels and soft tissue.
Minowa
K
K
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. kminowa@den.hokudai.ac.jp
Inoue
N
N
Sawamura
T
T
Matsuda
A
A
Totsuka
Y
Y
Nakamura
M
M
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D007570:Jaw Cysts / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed