The Role of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters in Head-Neck Tumors

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We evaluated dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in various head-neck masses, some of which are very rare tumors whose DCE-MRI have not been published to date. The purpose of this study was to investigate DCE-MRI in the differentiation of benign versus malignant lesions and to evaluate the DCE-MRI parameters most predictive for malignancy. Forty-one head-neck tumors including parotid gland tumors in 41 patients were examined at gadolinium-enhanced dynamic MR imaging. There were 26 malignant and 15 benign tumors. DCE-MR images were obtained between four and six minutes. Time-signal intensity curves (TICs) of the tumors on dynamic MR images were plotted, and then time of peak enhancement ( Tpeak), and enhancement ratios (ER) with different times (such as ER30, ER60, ER90, ER120, ERmax) were also calculated. Data of the benign and malignant group with head-neck masses were compared by Mann-Whitney U-test. The mean values of time to peak ( Tpeak) were found to be significantly shorter for the malignant group than the benign tumors ( P<0.05). The mean enhancement rates of malignant lesions were ER30: 60.62±52.62, ER60: 105.65±56.26, ER90: 113.17±45.83, ER120: 116.59±46.75 and ERmax: 128.56±56.51 whereas the mean enhancement rate of benign lesions were ER30: 67.35±60.78, ER60: 79.79±63.33, ER90: 84.53±64.92, ER120: 88.41±67.07 and ERmax: 112.06±66.48. The mean signal intensity values of the 60th second (ER60) and 90th second (ER90) were significantly different from other values for predicting malignancy ( P<.05). The parameters obtained from the time-signal intensity curve are important in differentiating benign and malignant enhancing lesions in dynamic head-neck MR imaging. DCE-MRI cannot replace standard MR imaging sequences for evaluating head-neck masses, but in addition to routine MR imaging it will improve differentiation between benign and malignant lesions.