[Usefulness of three-dimensional CT angiography for cervical tumor]

In this study, the usefulness of three-dimensional angiographic imagings from helical scanning computed tomography (CT) enhanced by contrast media were evaluated based on results from three patients with a cervical mass, e.g. thyroid cancer and carotid body tumor. Three-dimensional CT (3D-CT) angiographic imagings in these cases clearly demonstrated secondary dislocation or distortion of the major cervical vessels caused by the tumor or metastatic lymph nodes. It was remarkable that in the highly vascularized tumor in case 3, all features of the tumor were delineated by 3D-CT angiography. Our results indicate that 3D-CT angiographic imagings are especially useful for preoperative evaluation of the relationship of the cervical mass to major cervical vessels as well as in the observation of tumors rich in vasculature.