MRI characterization of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors in the maxillofacial region

We aimed to investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) in the maxillofacial region in order to improve diagnostic quality and resection efficacy.

Ten cases of pathologically identified IMTs were analyzed by MRI. The MRI features were examined, including tumor location, tumor shape, tumor margins, and involvement of the surrounding tissues.

Of ten masses investigated in this study, eight masses were irregular neoplasms with unclear margins and two masses, in the parotid gland, were regular neoplasms with clear margins. Precontrast T1-weighted images of all ten masses exhibited isointense signals compared to the adjacent tissue, while contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed strong enhancement. Six masses were hypointense and four masses were slightly hyperintense in T2-weighted images. Involvement of the adjacent structures was observed in eight of ten cases. Meanwhile, two patients experienced intracranial involvement.

IMTs are rare tumors in the maxillofacial region, displaying a number of distinct MRI characteristics. Most importantly, they display low T2 signal intensity and strong enhancement, and they frequently invade surrounding structures. Thus, MRI can improve the accuracy of IMT diagnoses and provide critical information for surgical planning.