MRI Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRI, including details on magnetic resonance imaging, neuroimaging, brain tumors.

Usefulness of contrast enhanced-MRI in the diagnosis of unicystic ameloblastoma.

Konouchi H, Asaumi J, Yanagi Y, Hisatomi M, Kawai N, Matsuzaki H, Kishi K

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Field of Tumor Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan.

The radiographic features of unicystic ameloblastoma (UA) are typically unilocular and round area of radiolucency. Therefore, this type of lesion is often misdiagnosed as an odontogenic keratocyst or a dentigerous cyst. UA should be differentiated from odontogenic cysts because the former have a higher rate of recurrence than the latter. In the present study, we performed contrast enhanced-MRI (CE-MRI) to diagnose 13 cases of unilocular, round radiolucent lesions visualized on panoramic radiograph and/or CT. In the cases of UA, low signal intensity was observed on T1-weighted images (WIs), and a markedly high signal intensity was observed on T2-WIs; moreover, relatively thick rim-enhancement with/without small intraluminal nodules was observed upon CE-T1WIs. CE-MRI was considered useful in the diagnosis of UA, as characteristic features of this type of lesion i.e., thick enhancement of the tumor wall and small intraluminal nodules were detected only by CE-MRI in the present study.

Published 3 May 2006 in Oral Oncol, 42(5): 481-6.
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