MR Imaging Findings of Sinonasal Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: Two Case Reports

ABSTRACT

Sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare disease, and reports focusing on the MR imaging findings of sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma are extremely rare. Threrefore we intend to report 2 cases of histologically confirmed neuroendocrine carcinoma. A 62-year-old man and a 74-year-old man are both presented with nasal bleeding. Computed tomography(CT) images of the 2 patients showed large, ill-defined masses in sinonasal cavities with adjacent bony destructions. MR images showed masses with isosignal intensity on T1-weighted images and mixed iso- and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Postcontrast MR images showed heterogenous enhancement of masses with necrosis. Adjacent bony destructions were also noted on MR images. In both cases, peritumoral cystic lesions or mucoceles with high signal intensity on T1-weighted images were noted in sphenoid sinus. Both of the CT and MR imaging findings of the 2 patients were nonspecific which are usually seen in malignant tumor. But further study is needed for the significance of the peritumoral cystic areas adjacent the tumors.