MRI of nasoalveolar cyst: case report

Nasoalveolar cyst is a rare nonodontogenic cyst arising in the nasoalar region of the face. In this case, a 39-year-old female had a nontender, fluctuant, soft, round, and bluish lesion in the right anterior gingiva of the right maxilla. Panoramic and magnetic resonance imaging examinatioins were performed. No abnormality was evident on the radiograph. The lesion was hypointense signal intensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. On sagittal T2-weighted images, a septum could be seen within the lesion. After injection of contrast medium and acquisition of T1-weighted images, enhancement was not observed in the lesion, but was evident at the periphery. The lesion did not enhance with contrast on T1-weighted images, but the periphery was enhanced. The lesion was surgically excised. Histopathologic examination showed the lesion to be a nasoalveolar cyst.