Salivary duct carcinomas: clinical and CT and MR imaging features in 20 patients

Introduction

Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is an uncommon high grade adenocarcinoma of the salivary gland with a grave prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and CT and MR imaging features of SDC.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and CT and MR imaging findings in 20 patients (14 men and six women; mean age, 59?years) with histologically proved SDC. We also tried to correlate clinicoradiological tumor staging with pathologic tumor staging in 17 patients who underwent surgery.

Results

The tumor originated in the parotid gland (n?=?11; 55%), the submandibular gland (n?=?7; 35%) and the buccal space along the distal Stensen's duct (n?=?2; 10%). Locoregional recurrence occurred in 41% and distant metastasis in 47%. Fifty-eight percent died of the disease with a mean survival period of 32?months after diagnosis. On CT and MR images, SDC was mostly seen as an ill-defined (85%) and infiltrative (60%) mass with frequent calcification (50%) and necrosis (80%). Although various signal intensities were seen on MR images, six of nine tumors contained the areas of marked hypointensity on T2-weighted images. Clinicoradiological tumor staging correlated well with pathologic tumor staging in 82% of the patients.

Conclusion

Ill-defined, infiltrative mass with calcification on CT scans and the areas of marked hypointensity on T2-weighted MR images may be useful radiologic features to suggest the diagnosis of SDC. CT and MR imaging are useful for staging of SDC.