OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in displaying the parotid gland segments of the facial nerve.

METHODSSixteen volunteers (9 males and 7 females) and 132 surgically confirmed patients with parotid tumors locating in the deep or shallow lobe of the parotid gland (including 89 with benign and 43 with malignant tumors) underwent MRI using T1WI and T2WI. The transverse images were obtained with the plane tilted 35 degrees to the foot, and the coronal images were acquired using conventional scanning.

RESULTSOn transverse T1WI, the parotid gland segments of the facial nerve displayed low signal with arc-shaped curve in the cross-section, showing a symmetrical dot-like low signal in the coronal plane. The facial nerve in 63% of the patients with parotid tumors in the cross-section could be displayed, but in the coronal plane the proportion reached 83%. MRI could accurately reveal the position of the parotid tumors in the deep or shallow lobe of the parotid gland.

CONCLUSIONMRI can show the major portion of the parotid gland segments of the facial nerve and has important value in locating the parotid tumors and displaying the relationship between the tumor and facial nerve.