Pediatric Pleomorphic Adenoma

  • Etiology: Benign epithelial neoplasm that arises in any tissue that has glandular myoepithelial tissue including salivary glands (parotid most commonly) or lacrimal glands or external auditory canal or skin or breast or vulva
  • Imaging US:
    — Hypoechoic
    — May show posterior acoustic enhancement
  • Imaging MRI:
    — T1WI: Low signal intensity
    — T1WI post contrast: Homogenous enhancement
    — T2WI: High signal intensity
  • DDX:
  • Complications: Recurrence after resection, 5-15% chance of malignant transformation
  • Treatment: Surgical
  • Clinical:
    — Presents with smooth painless enlarging mass
    — Most common tumor of parotid gland

Radiology Cases of Pleomorphic Adenoma

MRI of pleomorphic adenoma
Axial T1 MRI with contrast of the face (above left) shows a low signal intensity oval mass centered in the left parotid gland that on axial T2 MRI (above right) has high signal intensity and that on axial (below left) and coronal (below right) T1 MRI with contrast shows marked homogenous enhancement.