Amide proton transfer-weighted imaging of the head and neck at 3 T: a feasibility study on healthy human subjects and patients with head and neck cancer

• Published in: NMR in biomedicine Vol. 27; no. 10; pp. 1239 - 1247
• Main Authors: Yuan, Jing, Chen, Shuzhong, King, Ann D., Zhou, Jinyuan, Bhatia, Kunwar S., Zhang, Qinwei, Yeung, David Ka Wei, Wei, Juan, Mok, Greta Seng Peng, Wang, Yi-Xiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2014
• Subjects: Adenoma, Pleomorphic - pathology; Adult; Aged; Algorithms; amide proton transfer (APT); asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - secondary; chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST); Feasibility Studies; Female; Head - anatomy & histology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; head and neck tumor; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms - pathology; Neuroimaging - methods; parotid gland; Parotid Neoplasms - pathology; Protons; Reproducibility of Results; Young Adult; amide proton transfer (APT); head and neck tumor; asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio; parotid gland; chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)
• ISSN: 0952-3480; 1099-1492; 1099-1492
• DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3184

The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and repeatability of amide proton transfer‐weighted (APTw) MRI for the head and neck on clinical MRI scanners. Six healthy volunteers and four patients with head and neck tumors underwent APTw MRI scanning at 3 T. The APTw signal was quantified by the asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio (MTRasym) at 3.5 ppm. Z spectra of normal tissues in the head and neck (masseter muscle, parotid glands, submandibular glands and thyroid glands) were analyzed in healthy volunteers. Inter‐scan repeatability of APTw MRI was evaluated in six healthy volunteers. Z spectra of patients with head and neck tumors were produced and APTw signals in these tumors were analyzed. APTw MRI scanning was successful for all 10 subjects. The parotid glands showed the highest APTw signal (~7.6% average), whereas the APTw signals in other tissues were relatively moderate. The repeatability of APTw signals from the masseter muscle, parotid gland, submandibular gland and thyroid gland of healthy volunteers was established. Four head and neck tumors showed positive mean APTw ranging from 1.2% to 3.2%, distinguishable from surrounding normal tissues. APTw MRI was feasible for use in the head and neck regions at 3 T. The preliminary results on patients with head and neck tumors indicated the potential of APTw MRI for clinical applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. To explore the feasibility and repeatability of amide proton transfer‐weighted (APTw) MRI for the head and neck on clinical MRI scanners, the repeatability of MTRasym(3.5 ppm) mapping (APT‐weighted images) of the masseter muscle, parotid gland, submandibular gland and thyroid gland on healthy volunteers was established. The preliminary results on patients with head and neck tumors indicated the potential of APTw MRI for clinical applications.