The role of computed tomography in the evaluation of neck masses.

Application of computed tomography (CT) to neck masses has received little attention. The authors reviewed 10 cervical masses studied with CT as well as conventional imaging modalities. CT was extremely useful in defining both the osseous and soft-tissue extent of the lesion. In several instances, CT was able to show the relationship of the tumor to the spinal canal. When combined with angiography, CT demonstrated the relationship of the major cervical vascular channels to the lesion. Pathological conditions included neurofibroma, chordoma, branchial cleft cyst, neuroblastoma, lymphoma, neurilemmoma, and metastatic carcinoma.