[Anatomy and pathology of the parotid gland. COrrelation with magnetic resonance tomography].

Due to a very complex embryological development a variety of different tissues are mixed together within the parotid gland. Secondary degenerative metaplastic and regenerative alterations result in additional tissue variety. Epithelial cells of distinct differentiation, lymphatic tissue, partly within lymph nodes, partly in clusters, sebaceous tissue, fat and peripheral nervous tissue may be the origin of a pathological neoplastic or inflammatory intraparotid lesion. MRI is an optimal tool for the delineation of the anatomy of the parotid gland and of various intraparotid lesions and often permits differentiation among malignant and benign neoplastic and inflammatory lesions. The morphology of the different pathological lesions on MRI reflects the underlying histopathology. Due to great interindividual variations in the tissue characterization of a specific intraparotid lesion, great differences in MR morphology have to be expected.