MRI of Mucosal Malignant Melanoma of the Head and Neck

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Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the characteristic MR findings for mucosal malignant melanomas of the head and neck. We retrospectively analyzed the MR images for six patients with this entity. T1-weighted SE images with and without gadolinium and T2-weighted fast SE images were obtained. MR images were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by comparing the signal intensity of the melanoma with that of muscle. On T1-weighted images, five melanomas were hyperintense and one was isointense. On T2-weighted images, five were of mixed intensity and one showed isointensity. The mean signal intensity ratio of the primary melanoma to muscle was 1.51 and 1.39 on T1-weighted images with and without gadolinium, respectively. These values were not statistically significant. Hyperintensity on T1-weighted images is characteristic of this entity, but not universal.