[Diseases of the lymphatic system of the head and neck region. A comparative study of MRI and CT].

The diagnostic possibilities of magnetic resonance imaging compared with computed tomography in lymphomas and pathological enlargement of the lymph nodes in the head and neck region are presented. Whereas plain MRI examinations showed the same diagnostic sensitivity as CT, application of the paramagnetic contrast medium Gd-DTPA in 50 of 87 patients clearly increased diagnostic accuracy. Signal intensities of T1- or T2-weighted images before therapy (operation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) and after administration of Gd-DTPA were enhanced, compared with posttherapeutic and plain examinations. An increase after therapy in two patients signalled a relapse or residual tumour tissue; a decrease in three cases was evaluated as response to therapy. Other differential diagnostic processes such as lipomas, neurinomas, glomus tumours etc. were differentiated with the help of signal intensity curves after administration of contrast media and the use of a gradient echo sequence TR/TE = 30/12 msec with a flip angle of 30 degrees. Differentiation of tissue based on morphological criteria such as homogeneity of tumour tissue or the delineation against surrounding tissue structures showed in the case of Hodgkin's disease and inflammatory diseases mainly homogeneous elements without ring-shaped structure. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas had a predominantly homogeneous structure. In squamous cell carcinomas MR revealed in two cases a ring-shaped enhancement.