Wang W D, Sun D X, Qiu W L
School of stomatology, Shanghai Second Medical University.
Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 1994 Sep;29(5):259-61, 319.
Because there are many similarities in infection and neoplasm of the infratemporal fossa (ITF), it is difficult to differentiate between these two diseases. By analysing 28 cases of the ITF lesions (8 cases of infection, 20 cases of neoplasm) the authors find the following points are important to differentiate between infection and neoplasm of the ITF. 1. The patients suffering from ITF infection almost all have odynophagia, while the patients suffering from the ITF neoplasm have no such symptom. The latter presents numbness in branches of the fifth nerve, while the former scarcely exhibits this symptom. 2. In the ITF neoplasm the mass could be found by CT or MRI, while in the ITF cellulitis no mass could be found. Although CT or MRI could find the mass in the ITF abscess, at the same time CT definitely could find some imaging signs which signify infection such as abscess formation (lucency) and gas bubbles. CT could find adjacent bone destruction in most ITF neoplasms, while this is rare in (ITF) infection. MRI is very helpful in differentiating between these two.
由于颞下窝（ITF）感染与肿瘤存在许多相似之处，因此很难区分这两种疾病。通过分析28例ITF病变（8例感染，20例肿瘤），作者发现以下几点对于区分ITF感染和肿瘤很重要。1. 患有ITF感染的患者几乎都有吞咽痛，而患有ITF肿瘤的患者没有这种症状。后者表现为第五神经分支麻木，而前者几乎不表现出这种症状。2. 在ITF肿瘤中，可通过CT或MRI发现肿块，而在ITF蜂窝织炎中则找不到肿块。虽然CT或MRI可以在ITF脓肿中发现肿块，但同时CT肯定可以发现一些表明感染的影像学征象，如脓肿形成（透亮区）和气泡。CT在大多数ITF肿瘤中可发现相邻骨质破坏，而在（ITF）感染中则很少见。MRI对区分这两者非常有帮助。
