[Use of nuclear magnetic resonance in cranio-facial pathology. Preliminary study]. / Impiego della risonanza magnetica nucleare nella patologia cranio-facciale. Studio preliminare.

The use of MRT in craniofacial pathology has been evaluated above all as regards the possibility offered by this technique for studying the soft parts with better results than already sophisticated investigations like the CT scan. The technique's limitations are the long duration of the investigation, the impossibility of carrying it out in carriers of pacemakers, the inadequate visualisation of the bone and calcifications, the fairly high cost; the advantages are the fact that ionising radiation is not employed, the ureter sensitivity for the soft parts, the good vessel evaluation and the possibility of obtaining oriented sections in every space plane without moving the patient. The use of MRT is therefore rich in prospects.

[Chemodectoma of the pterygo-maxillary fossa]. / Chemodectoma della fossa pterigo-mascellare.

Cervicocephalic chemodectomas are rare non-chromaffin paraganglionic tumours, most often originating in the carotid body or the jugular ganglion. Their main features are a reluctance to invade adjacent tissue and the absence of general clinical signs. Since they are histologically quite varied they may at times be difficult to recognise. A chemodectoma of a hitherto unreported type is described. Encountered in the pterygo-maxillary fossa it was identified by computerised axial tomography and angiography.