Abstract
BackgroundHead and neck Magnetic Resonance (MR) Images are vulnerable to the arterial blood in-flow effect. To compensate for this effect and enhance accuracy and reproducibility, dynamic tracer concentration in veins was proposed and investigated for quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI analysis in head and neck.Methodology21 patients with head and neck tumors underwent DCE-MRI at 3T. An automated method was developed for blood vessel selection and separation. Dynamic concentration-time-curves (CTCs) in arteries and veins were used for the Tofts model parameter estimations. The estimation differences by using CTCs in arteries and veins were compared. Artery and vein voxels were accurately separated by the automated method. Remarkable inter-slice tracer concentration differences were found in arteries while the inter-slice concentration differences in veins were moderate. Tofts model fitting by using the CTCs in arteries and veins produced significantly different parameter estimations. The individual artery CTCs resulted in large (>50% generally) inter-slice parameter estimation variations. Better inter-slice consistency was achieved by using the vein CTCs.ConclusionsThe use of vein CTCs helps to compensate for arterial in-flow effect and reduce kinetic parameter estimation error and inconsistency for head and neck DCE-MRI.
Highlights
Angiogenesis is vital for the growth and metastasis of malignant tumors
The use of vein CTCs helps to compensate for arterial in-flow effect and reduce kinetic parameter estimation error and inconsistency for head and neck dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI
DCE-MRI could be analyzed semi-quantitatively to derive heuristic parameters like maximum enhancement intensity and rate, and the area under dynamic curve, quantitative DCE-MRI analysis based on pharmacokinetic models [11,12] is able to retrieve physiologically relevant parameters that are independent of scanner and imaging protocols, and holds the potentials for standardized multicenter data comparison and clinical trial study
Summary
Angiogenesis is vital for the growth and metastasis of malignant tumors. Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI is a valuable non-invasive imaging method that enables the investigation of tissue microvascular environment for many clinical oncology applications. To conduct DCE-MRI, paramagnetic gadolinium based contrast agent, called tracer, is administrated and passes through the capillary bed where it leaks into the extravascularextracellular space (EES). This leakage process is influenced by factors like the blood flow, permeability and surface area of the microvessels as well as the volume of EES. Head and neck Magnetic Resonance (MR) Images are vulnerable to the arterial blood in-flow effect To compensate for this effect and enhance accuracy and reproducibility, dynamic tracer concentration in veins was proposed and investigated for quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI analysis in head and neck
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