CT and MR imaging findings of sinonasal angiomatous polyps

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the CT and MR imaging findings of patients with sinonasal angiomatous polyps (SAPs) and evaluate their respective clinical value in the diagnosis of SAP.

Methods: CT and MR imaging findings of 15 patients with pathologically proven SAP were examined. Assessed image features included location, size, margin, attenuation, and change of the bony walls of the sinonasal cavity on CT, and signal intensity and enhancement pattern on MR.

Results: On CT, the SAP was mostly isoattenuated with patches of slight hyperattenuation. Most lesions caused changes in the adjacent bone, including expansile remodeling (n=8), defect or destruction (n=7), and hyperostosis (n=6). All lesions examined by MR showed heterogeneous isointense signal intensity on T1-weighted images and mixed obvious hyperintense and hypointense signal intensity with linear hypointense septum internally (n=10), and hypointense peripheral rim on T2-weighted images (n=10). Postcontrast MR images demonstrated areas of heterogeneous and marked enhancement with an unenhanced hypointense rim and septa (n=7).

Conclusions: CT and MR imaging have respective advantages in the diagnosis of SAP. Combined application of CT and MR examinations is necessary for patients with suspected SAP.

Keywords: Hemangioma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Nasal polyps; Paranasal sinus diseases; Tomography, X-ray computed.