Value of MR and CT Imaging for Assessment of Internal Carotid Artery Encasement in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Figure 3
Examples of CT and MR images showing carotid encasement. (a) Axial CT image of a lymph node metastases (the mass is encircled by a white line) at the right side showing at least 270 degrees of encasement. The confluent lymph node mass is invading into the skin. The right carotid artery (arrow) is covered by the lymph node mass. Note: the right internal jugular vein is not visible, possibly due to compression. Suggestive the high-density structure (white star) lateral to the right lamina of the cricoid is surgical clip from earlier operation. (b) Fat-suppressed T1 contrast-enhanced MR section showing lymph node metastases in the left neck. The left internal carotid artery (arrow) is covered anteriorly and laterally by nodal disease (the mass is encircled by a white line). The circumferential involvement is (just) over 180 degrees.
