Differential Diagnosis in Head and Neck Imaging: A Systematic Approach to the Radiologic Evaluation of the Head and Neck Region and the Interpretation of Difficult Cases

With its complex anatomy and diversity of landmarks, the head and neck region poses a special challenge to clinical and radiologic diagnosis. Sound therapeutic decision making requires the use of modern imaging procedures to define the precise location and extent of pathologic processes and delineate the involvement of adjacent structures. Other important information is derived from the vascularity of a lesion, its internal structure, its homogeneity, and the nature of its margins. All these criteria will suggest a radiologic differential diagnosis that forms the basis for an accurate interpretation of the findings. This book offers a systematic approach to differential diagnosis based on the experience gained in more than 4000 comparative clinical and radiologic examinations. Each chapter includes images that illustrate the differentiating criteria that are applied to various types of pathology. Besides demonstrating the key elements of an accurate differential diagnosis, the images show how radiologic tissue characterization is not possible for all lesions, and how imaging can direct the biopsy procedures which may be needed to establish a diagnosis.