Application of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) Model for Differentiation Between Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Head and Neck Lymph Nodes

Beata Hejduk; Barbara Bobek-Billewicz; Tomasz Rutkowski; Anna Hebda; Agata Zawadzka; Marek K Jurkowski

doi:10.12659/PJR.902275

Application of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) Model for Differentiation Between Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Head and Neck Lymph Nodes

Pol J Radiol. 2017 Sep 15:82:506-510. doi: 10.12659/PJR.902275. eCollection 2017.

Authors

Beata Hejduk¹, Barbara Bobek-Billewicz¹, Tomasz Rutkowski², Anna Hebda¹, Agata Zawadzka¹, Marek K Jurkowski^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Center of Oncology - M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Institute, Branch in Gliwice, Gliwice, Poland.
² I Clinic of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Center of Oncology - M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Institute, Branch in Gliwice, Gliwice, Poland.
³ Department of Medical Physics, Center of Oncology - M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Institute, Branch in Gliwice, Gliwice, Poland.
⁴ Department of Medical Analytics, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland.

Abstract

Background: Application of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model parameters, including: true diffusion (D), pseudodiffusion (D*), and perfusion fraction (F_p), for differentiation between metastatic and non-metastatic head and neck lymph nodes.

Material/methods: Diffusion-weighted images/apparent diffusion coefficient (DWI/ADC) images of 86 lymph nodes from 31 cancer patients were analyzed. DWI images were obtained with a 1.5T MRI scanner (Magnetom Avanto); b=0,50, 150, 300, 500, 750, 1000, 1200 s/mm².

Results: In the study group, there were 32 (37%) and 54 (67%) metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes, respectively. The mean values of D, D*, and F_p did not differ significantly between metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes.

Conclusions: IVIM parameters are not useful for differentiation between metastatic and non-metastatic head and neck lymph nodes.

Keywords: Head and Neck Neoplasms; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic Metastasis.