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Radiographic review of anatomy and pathology of the masticator space: what the emergency radiologist needs to know

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A Correction to this article was published on 14 March 2020

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Abstract

The differential diagnosis of a masticator space (MS) lesion is broad, owing in part to the multiple structures contained within such a small region. It is also because the MS is adjacent to many of the other deep spaces within the head and neck, which can act as gateways for disease spread. Therefore, emergency radiologists must be familiar with anatomy of the MS, as well as adjacent spaces in order to provide an accurate diagnosis to the referring clinician. This article illustrates the anatomy and common pathologies within the MS using a case-based multimodality approach. Common masticator space pathologies can be categorized into inflammatory/infectious, neoplastic, and vasoformative lesions. Important imaging features of MS lesions and patterns of disease spread will be discussed, with the aim of making this complex deep space more approachable in the emergent setting.

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Change history

  • 14 March 2020

    Unfortunately, the original publication of this article contained a mistake in Fig. 7a. The correct figure is presented here. The original article has been corrected.

Abbreviations

MS:

Masticator space

NF1:

Neurofibromatosis type 1

SCC:

Squamous cell carcinoma

CT:

Computerized tomography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

VM:

Vascular malformation

AVM:

Arteriovenous malformation

GLUT1:

Glucose transporter type 1

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Sarah Klingenberger for her invaluable contribution to our figures for this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan Medical School, 1301 Catherine St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Shahzaib Chughtai

  2. University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Komal A. Chughtai & Simone Montoya

  3. Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA

    Alok A. Bhatt

Authors
  1. Shahzaib Chughtai
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  2. Komal A. Chughtai
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  3. Simone Montoya
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  4. Alok A. Bhatt
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Correspondence to Komal A. Chughtai.

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The original version of this article was revised: Unfortunately, the original publication of this article contained a mistake in Figure 7a.

Key points

• Anatomy of the MS is important for understanding spread of disease.

• Teeth and submandibular/parotid glands are a common source of MS infections.

• Malignancy can spread into the MS via direct or perineural spread, and can also arise in the MS de novo.

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Chughtai, S., Chughtai, K.A., Montoya, S. et al. Radiographic review of anatomy and pathology of the masticator space: what the emergency radiologist needs to know. Emerg Radiol 27, 329–339 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-020-01756-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-020-01756-7

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