Keywords:
Head and neck, Neuroradiology brain, Oncology, MR, Staging, Cancer
Authors:
L. Kerr, R. White, T. White, T. Nguyen, M. Sampson
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2022/R-0047
Purpose
Cutaneous melanoma the 3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2020, encompassing 11% of all new cancer diagnoses, and most commonly affects younger populations 1,2. Between 10 – 20% of melanomas involve the head and neck and warrant appropriate investigation and management2. A harbinger of morbidity and mortality is perineural spread of the tumour, due its propensity to circumvent surgical margins or radiotherapy, have higher rates of recurrence, and an associated poor prognosis2. The nerves of the head and neck are vast, and represent a highway of intricate communication of spaces via skull based foramina. This review aims to collate and analyse cases reported in the literature of perineural spread in melanomas associated with head and neck cancer, and characterise their anatomical distribution, radiological features and treatment outcomes.