Soft-tissue changes after head and neck radiation: CT findings

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · AJNR, Am. J. Neuroradiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6346434

Bronstein, A D; Nyberg, D A; Schwartz, A N; Shuman, W P; Griffin, B R

To identify possible soft-tissue changes of the head and neck after radiation therapy, 102 CT scans from 78 patients with head and neck tumors were reviewed to assess (1) skin thickening, (2) epiglottic thickening, (3) stranding of subcutaneous fat, and (4) stranding of deep cervical fat. Scans were obtained after radiation therapy alone (10 cases), after radiation and surgery (27 cases), after surgery alone (24 cases), or before either surgery or radiation (41 cases). Skin thickening, epiglottic thickening, and stranding of subcutaneous fat were seen more frequently after radiation therapy than before such treatment. However, skin thickening and stranding of subcutaneous fat were sometimes also associated with tumor involvement and/or previous surgery, while epiglottic thickening was only occasionally associated with tumor involvement. Stranding of deep cervical fat was noted with increased frequency after radiation or surgery, but postradiation effects could not be reliably distinguished from postsurgical or tumor effects. We conclude that soft-tissue changes of the head and neck on CT may commonly be associated with previous radiation therapy, but these postradiation effects are not always distinguishable from postsurgical effects or tumor.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Washington, Seattle (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6346434
• Journal Information: AJNR, Am. J. Neuroradiol.; (United States), Journal Name: AJNR, Am. J. Neuroradiol.; (United States) Vol. 10:1; ISSN AAJND
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550602 -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADIPOSE TISSUE
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BODY AREAS
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
HEAD
MEDICINE
NECK
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
SKIN
SURGERY
THERAPY
TISSUES
TOMOGRAPHY