Intravoxel incoherent motion MR imaging in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: comparison and correlation with dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging.

OBJECTIVES

To compare accuracy and assess agreement between intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion-related parameters and quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MR parameters in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

RESULTS

, , *, , and were significantly lower in the high stage group while was significantly higher in the high stage group. Optimal cut-off values were: =0.749 × 10 mm/s; =0.145; *=100.401 × 10 mm/s; =0.571/min; =0.8196/min; =0.6556 %; =0.0757 %. * (=0.001), (<0.001), (=0.014) were all reliable independent predictors for AJCC staging. IVIM-MR perfusion-related (, *) and DCE-MR ( , , , ) parameters were significantly correlated (<0.001).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

75 patients with newly diagnosed NPC were prospectively recruited. Diffusion-weighted MR and DCE-MR imaging were performed with respective IVIM (, , *) and DCE ( , , , ) MR parameters calculated. Patients were stratified into low and high tumor stage groups according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging for determination of the predictive powers of IVIM-MR and DCE-MR parameters using t-test, ROC curve analyses and multiple logistic regression analysis. Correlation between IVIM-MR perfusion-related and DCE-MR parameters was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation.

CONCLUSION

IVIM-MR perfusion-related and quantitative DCE-MR parameters were significantly correlated in the assessment of NPC and were both reliable independent predictors in the prediction of AJCC staging. IVIM-MR perfusion imaging can be a potential useful non-invasive perfusion imaging tool for clinical use in the assessment of NPC.