Purpose: To investigate the correlation between perfusion-related parameters obtained with intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and classical perfusion parameters obtained with dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and to compare direct and asymptotic fitting, the pixel-by-pixel approach, and a region of interest (ROI)-based approach respectively for IVIM parameter calculation. Materials and Methods:Seventeen patients with HNSCC were included in this retrospective study. All MR scanning was performed using a 3T MR unit. Acquisition of IVIM was performed using single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging with three orthogonal gradients with 12 b-values (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000, and 2000). Perfusion-related parameters of perfusion fraction 'f' and the pseudo-diffusion coefficient 'D*' were calculated from IVIM data by using least square fitting with the two fitting methods of direct and asymptotic fitting, respectively. DCE perfusion was performed in a total of 64 dynamic phases with a 3.2-s phase interval.The two-compartment exchange model was used for the quantification of tumor blood volume (TBV) and tumor blood flow (TBF). Each tumor was delineated with a polygonal ROI for the calculation of f, f･D* performed using both the pixel-by-pixel approach and the ROI-based approach. In the pixel-by-pixel approach, after fitting each pixel to obtain f, f･D* maps, the mean value in the delineated ROI on these maps was calculated. In the ROI-based approach, the mean value of signal intensity was calculated within the ROI for each b-value in IVIM images, and then fitting was performed using these values. Correlations between f in a total of four combinations (direct or asymptotic fitting and pixel-by-pixel or ROI-based approach) and TBV were respectively analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Correlations between f･ D* and TBF were also similarly analyzed. Results:In all combinations of f and TBV, f･D* and TBF, there was a significant correlation. In the comparison of f and TBV, a moderate correlation was observed only between f obtained by direct fitting with the pixel-by-pixel approach, whereas a good correlation was observed in the comparisons using the other three combinations. In the comparison of f･D* and TBF, a good correlation was observed only with f･D* obtained by asymptotic fitting with the ROI-based approach. In contrast, moderate correlations were observed in the comparisons using the other three combinations. Conclusion:IVIM was found to be feasible for the analysis of perfusion-related parameters in patients with HNSCC. Especially, the combination of asymptotic fitting with the ROI-based approach was better correlated with DCE perfusion.

Objectives:To evaluate the diagnostic value of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) parameters in nasal or sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients to determine local control/failure. ･Especially, the D-value's histogram 25th percentile has high diagnostic accuracy. Methods

TBF measurement by pCASL was feasible in patients with HNSCC.

ASL allows quantitative assessment of TBF in head and neck cancer. ASL may be useful for noninvasive assessment of tumor viability in head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:For the assessment of the treatment response in non-surgical treatment, tumor blood flow provides the functional information of the tumor which is different from the morphological information such as tumor volume. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of tumor blood flow values obtained by pseudocontinuous arterial spin-labeling in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.