頭頸部脂肪腫の4症例

Lipomas of the Head and Neck:Report of 4 Cases

　はじめに

　脂肪腫は中胚葉由来の軟部組織から発生する良性腫瘍で，全身の皮下に限らず，各種臓器にもみられる。耳鼻咽喉科・頭頸部領域では頸部，口腔，咽頭，耳下腺などにその報告例がある。頭頸部領域の脂肪腫はその存在自体が重大な障害をきたすことは少なく，外見上の問題，すなわち審美的要素，あるいは鑑別診断上の問題が主たることが多い疾患である。

　今回われわれは，頸部の脂肪腫3例と，耳下腺脂肪腫の1例を経験し，画像所見および文献的考察を含めて報告する。

Four cases of lipoma were reported, three cases of the neck, and a case of intraparotid gland.

As to the locations and depth of lipoma in the neck, large lipomas whose diameter were more than 50 mm tended to be located deeper to the layer of platysma muscle.

Smaller lipomas tended to be located super-ficial to the platysma muscle and rendered themselves easier to be detected earlier and in small size.

Lipomas of the intraparotid gland are rela-tively rare. Images by CT reveals well circum-scribed low density area. But when lipomas contain hypervascularized adipose area, this will be depicted as high density area by enhance-ment.