[Imaging diagnosis of tumor in parapharyngeal space].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnostic value of CT and MRI in tumors of parapharyngeal space (PPS).


METHODS
The data of one hundred and thirty-eight patients with PPS tumor treated in our department during the period from January, 1988 to January, 2005 were collected and reviewed. Eighty-three men and 55 women were enrolled, not including patients with metastasis tumors in PPS or nasopharyngeal carcinomas invading PPS. The age varies from 7 to 73 yrs(average 44.7 yrs). Among the patients, 12 were operated for the second time because of recurrence. All the patients were examined by CT or/and MRI.


RESULTS
CT and MRI could provide the position, size, confine of the tumor and its relationship with cervical blood vessels well, which were important to operation schemes.


CONCLUSIONS
CT and MRI before operation are valuable to the treatment of PPS tumors.
Sun
Dawei
D
Department of Otolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
Liu
Banghua
B
Kong
Weijia
W
Yang
Chengzhang
C
Wang
Guangping
G
Bi
Shengbin
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005205:Fascia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010614:Pharynx; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult