The pharyngeal mucosal, parapharyngeal, and retropharyngeal spaces

Mass lesions in the deep neck spaces cannot be examined directly but instead require sectional imaging examinations. This pictorial essay reviews cases of mass and/or mass-like lesions in the oral cavity and/or the pharyngeal region that were radiologically diagnosed at our department. The purpose of this paper is to introduce to oral radiologists several key points in the sectional imaging diagnosis of a variety of lesions of the pharyngeal mucosal space, parapharyngeal space, and retropharyngeal spaces. To help readers make full use of CT or MR image findings of lesions in these spaces, we provide actual images of common diseases that occur in either the oral cavity or the neck. By focusing on displacements of fat, vessels, muscles, and bony structures in each space, oral radiologists can narrow the range of possible differential diagnoses. Familiarity with not only the anatomy of these spaces but also with the diseases specific to them and, in turn, their radiological manifestations, can help oral radiologists reach an accurate diagnosis.