MRI and CT imaging characteristics of myoepithelioma of the parotid gland

Abstract

Background Myoepithelioma is a rare tumor of the salivary gland and only few reports have focused on its imaging characteristics. Purpose To characterize the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) characteristics of myoepithelioma of the parotid gland. Material and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the MRI and CT findings of nine patients with myoepithelioma in the parotid gland as demonstrated by pathologic analysis. The MRI and CT findings were analyzed regarding the tumor position, size, marginal morphology, and degree and patterns of enhancement. Results Unilocular and multilocular tumors were found in seven cases (7/9, 77.8%) and two cases (2/9, 22.2%), respectively. Most of the tumors were located in the superficial lobe (6/9, 66.7%) and abutted the capsule of the parotid gland (7/9, 77.8%). Six of the seven unilocular tumors were round. Most of the tumors displayed smooth contours (6/9, 66.7%) and well-defined margins (5/9, 55.6%). Four of five tumors (80%) display the capsule on T2-weighted (T2W) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (T1W) imaging. All five examined tumors exhibited homogeneous intermediate signal intensity on T1W imaging and high signal intensity on T2W imaging. On contrast-enhanced T1W imaging, the tumors displayed homogeneous ( n = 4) or heterogeneous ( n = 1) moderate to marked contrast enhancement. Based on the enhanced CT scans, four tumors exhibited moderate homogeneous ( n = 2) or heterogeneous ( n = 2) contrast enhancement. Conclusion Myoepitheliomas are characterized as small, unilocular, round tumors with smooth contours that are located in the superficial lobe and abut the capsule of the parotid gland, display the capsule on T2W and contrast-enhanced T1W imaging, and exhibit homogeneous signal intensities or densities based on MRI and CT.