Magnetic resonance imaging of myxoma in the mandible: a case report

Abstract

The findings of conventional radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reported for an odontogenic myxoma arising in the mandible of a 48-year-old Japanese man. The MRI characteristics of an intraosseous myxoma are described for only the third time. MRI showed a well-defined and smooth-walled mass lesion with high-signal intensity on T2-weighted images and low-intermediate-signal intensity on TI-weighted images. Soft tissue myxomas have been reported to show low-signal intensity on TI-weighted images and high-signal intensity on T2-weighted images. However, the first MRI report of an intraosseous myxoma showed a higher-signal intensity on TI-weighted images and lower-signal intensity on T2-weighted images. The MRI findings in this study thus correspond to those of soft tissue myxomas and do not agree with observations of the first MRI report of the intraosseous myxoma. Further studies are needed to clarify the reasons for this difference.