Conventional, diffusion, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI findings for differentiating metaplastic Warthin’s tumor of the parotid gland

The purpose of this study was to explore conventional, diffusion, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) characteristics for differentiating metaplastic Warthin’s tumor (MWT) from other tumor types of the parotid gland, including non-metaplastic Warthin’s tumor (non-MWT), pleomorphic adenoma (PA), and malignant tumor (MT). A total of 178 patients with histologically proven tumors of the parotid gland, including 21 MWTs, 49 non-MWTs, 66 PAs, and 42 MTs, were enrolled in the study. Conventional MRI was performed in all patients. One hundred and fifty patients had preoperative diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI), and 62 patients had preoperative DCE-MRI. The differences in the conventional, DCE-MRI, and DWI records between MWTs and the other three tumor types were statistically evaluated. Compared with non-MWTs and PAs, there was a statistically significant difference in circumscription (p < 0.01). The ill-defined circumscription was more common in MWTs than non-MWTs and PAs. Compared with PAs, there was a statistically significant difference in morphology (p < 0.05). The lobulated morphology was more common in PAs than MWTs. Compared with PAs and MTs, there was a statistically significant difference in the T(2) signal of the solid component (p < 0.01). The T(2) moderate intensity of solid components was more common in MWTs than PAs and MTs. The solid components of PAs mostly showed hyperintense on T(2)-weighted imaging. Cyst/necrosis was more common in MWTs than PAs and MTs. Hyperintense of cyst/necrosis was more common in MWTs and non-MWTs. With respect to contrast enhancement, 52.4% MWTs exhibited moderate or marked enhancement, and most non-MWTs (81.6%) exhibited mild enhancement. Most PAs (84.8%) exhibited marked enhancement. The mean ADC value of MWTs (0.94 × 10(−3) ± 0.11 mm(2)/s) was significantly lower than that of the PAs (1.60 × 10(−3) ± 0.17 mm(2)/s) (p < 0.001). On DCE-MRI, six of eight MWTs demonstrated TIC of type B. Although MWT is rare, conventional MRI characteristics, DWI and DCE-MRI can provide useful information for differentiating MWT from other parotid mass.