Clinical value of magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging in early diagnosis and treatment of cervical lymph node recurrence after radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Objective To explore the clinical value of magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) in the early diagnosis of cervical lymph node recurrence after radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, aiming to provide reference for targeted diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Methods The MR-DWI features of 17 patients with recurrent cervical lymph nodes after radiotherapy from 2005 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The results of diagnosis and treatment after lymph node recurrence were summarized. Results The recurrent lymph nodes of 17 patients showed a high signal or mixed signal on MR-DWI images. The sensitivity of MR-DWI and T2WI fat suppression sequence was 100% and 60%. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) or biopsy was performed to validate the diagnosis in patients with highly suspected single cervical recurrence. Besides, surgical treatment yielded better clinical prognosis. Conclusions MR-DWI is highly sensitive to recurrent cervical lymph nodes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy, especially for the small lymph nodes of 5-10 mm in diameter, which are easily ignored. PET-CT examination should be performed, the nature of the lymph nodes should be confirmed by multi-modality imaging diagnosis, and timely operation has important clinical significance in improving the therapeutic effect and quality of life for patients with cervical lymphnode recurrence. Key words: Magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging; Nasopharyngeal neoplasm; Cervical lymph node recurrence