title: Retropharyngeal masses in neurofibromatosis type 1: Imaging findings in 2 cases.
abstract: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) affects mesenchymal development via multisystemic manifestations. We present 2 cases of NF-1 that manifested as a retropharyngeal mass-1 as a lateral cervical meningocele in a 60-year-old man and the other as a focal neurofibroma in a 37-year-old man. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was invaluable in identifying the exact nature of the 2 lesions; no contrast enhancement was seen in the case of the meningocele, and enhancement was seen in the case of the neurofibroma. These 2 cases illustrate the importance of the history and contrast-enhanced MRI in managing NF-1 patients with a retropharyngeal mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, MSB 2.130B, Houston, TX 77030, USA. riascosr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riascos
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dodds
authors.forename: Nirav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008588:Meningocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009456:Neurofibromatosis 1 / Q000150:complications*; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media