Imaging of cervical lymph node metastases in malignant jugular paraganglioma: imaging of paraganglioma metastases.

摘要

Tympanojugular paragangliomas are the most common tumors of the skull base. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for radiologic study, with a characteristic salt-and-pepper pattern on T1-weighted images with gadolinium enhancement. Angiography is needed to visualize the feeding vessels to perform preoperative rumor embolization. The typical angiographic appearance of a paraganglioma is that of a hypervascular mass with enlarged feeding arteries, intense tumoral blush (due to intratumoral vascular shunts), and early draining veins (1). Metastases from jugular paragangliomas are relatively rare, in contrast with vagal paragangliomas (incidence varies between1-4%), and are the main manifestation of malignant behavior (2). The metastases show the same angiographic pattern as that of primary tumor.