Imaging manifestation of metastatic tumors in nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the imaging manifestations of metastasis in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Methods Twelve lesions of 10 patients with pathologically proved metastasis were retrospectively reviewed, including 6 renal clear cell carcinoma, 2 pulmonary adenocarcinoma, 1 colorectal carcinoma and 1 hepatic carcinoma. All the patients underwent CT and MRI scan.Among them,9 patients had contrast enhanced MRI scan and 5 patients had dynamic contrast-enhenced MRI as well. The location, bone changes, shape,margin,density,signal intensity, and enhancement characteristics of the lesions were observed. Results The metastasis involved spheno-ethmoid area(n=3), ethmoid sinus (n=2), maxillary sinus (n=2), nasal cavity(n=2), fronto-ethmoid area(n=2) and sphenoid sinus (n=1). All 12 metastatic lesions demonstrated bone destruction with tumor bone formation in 1 lesion. The CT displayed 10 metastases showed equal density, one mixed density was high, another form of low-density mixed. MR imaging showed equal signal in 9 lesions, while low-mixed signal in 3 lesions on T1WI compared with grey matter were found. On T2WI, 11 lesions showed high mixed signal and homogeneous low signal in 1 lesion. All 12 lesions demonstrated markedly heterogenous enhancement after intravenous administration of contrast media. Of 5 cases with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI scanning, 4 lesions demonstrated wash-out time-signal intensity curve (TIC) pattern and 1 lesion demonstrated plateau pattern. Conclusions Renal carcinoma is the most common primary tumor for nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses metastasis. A typical imaging finding is located in the ethmoid sinuses, the soft tissue mass surrounded with rich blood supply multiple sinuses and significant bone destruction.