Sialoblastoma: MRI findings

Abstract

Sialoblastoma is a rare, aggressive and potentially malignant salivary gland tumour diagnosed in the neonatal period. A total of 28 cases have been reported in the literature, but reports of the imaging findings are limited. We describe a neonate with a right parotid sialoblastoma. MRI showed a large facial mass, which was mostly hypointense to the brain on T1-weighted images and mildly hyperintense on T2-weighted images. There were foci of haemorrhage and necrosis. Heterogeneous and weak contrast enhancement was detected on contrast-enhanced images. The tumour invaded the maxilla and adjacent muscles.