MR imaging of neurogenic tumors of the carotid space

Three patients of carotid body tumors and a patient of schwannoma of the carotid space were evaluated. Carotid body tumors are characterized by their profuse tumor vessels and the location near to the carotid bifurcation, whereas schwannomas have poor neovascularity. MR can delineate carotid arteries and tumor vessels without contrast media. MR of carotid body tumors showed mottled or curvilinear low intensity areas in and around the mass, which represented the flow void phenomena of the tumor vessels. The distribution of the flow void coincided with the tumor vessels on angiograms. MR may replace X-CT in the diagnosis of neurogenic tumors of the carotid spaces. (author)