PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ho Sung Kim
AU  - Ho Kyu Lee
AU  - Young-Cheol Weon
AU  - Hyung-Jin Kim
TI  - Alveolar Soft-Part Sarcoma of the Head and Neck: Clinical and Imaging Features in Five Cases
DP  - 2005 Jun 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1331--1335
VI  - 26
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/26/6/1331.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/26/6/1331.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2005 Jun 01; 26
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) of the head and neck is an extremely rare malignancy. Although the clinical and imaging features of this tumor have been reported, a periodic review of unusual tumors is useful. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical and imaging features of ASPS of the head and neck.METHODS: Between January 1990 and May 2004 at our institution, five head and neck ASPS were diagnosed in five patients (two male and three female patients; age range, 4–22 years). Clinical and imaging findings were reviewed retrospectively. Imaging studies consisted of contrast material-enhanced CT (in four patients), MR imaging (in four patients), and digital subtraction angiography (in two patients).RESULTS: The locations of the tumor were tongue in two cases, larynx in one case, buccal space in one case, and paravertebral space in one case. This tumor appeared as a large lobulating-contoured mass with high signal intensity and flow voids on T2-weighted images and showed strong enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT and MR images. Preoperative angiography showed high vascularity. Wide surgical excisions were performed in four cases. Mean follow-up periods were 16 months (range, 6–30 months), and no recurrence was noted except for the laryngeal case.CONCLUSION: ASPS should be included in the differential diagnosis of head and neck tumor when a slow-growing, large mass with high signal intensity and flow voids on T2-weighted images and strong enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT or MR image is seen, particularly in young female patients.