Background:The value of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI（DCE-MRI）in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma（NPC）has not been well understood so far
Aim:to evaluate the role of DCE-MRI parameters in assessing clinical characteristic of NPC
Methods:Quantitative parameters (Ktrans [volume transfer constant], Ve [volume fraction] , fPV [fractional plasma volume] and kep[kep=Ktrans/Ve]) and semiquantitative parameters (TTP[time to peak],CER[contrast enhancement ratio], Maxslop[the maximum slope of the time-SI curve],WoutSl[Washout ratio of the time-SI curve],Area under the time-SI curve from initial time point of enhancement to 90sec[AUC90]and 180sec[AUC180])were obtained from the DCE-MRI data of the primary lesions of 75 NPC patients who successfully underwent DCE-MRI on a 1.5T MR scanner. Pearson correlation coefficients between DCE-MRI parameters and clinical stage(TNM and UICC staging） were calculated.
Results:Ktrans ,Ve, AUC90 and AUC180 showed positive correlation with UICC stage, T stage and M stage. Kep showed negative correlation with T stage. TTP showed positive correlation with UICC stage and T stage(shown in the following table).
|
DCE-MRI |
UICC |
stage |
T |
stage |
N |
stage |
M |
stage |
|
parameters |
r |
p |
r |
p |
r |
p |
r |
p |
|
Ktrans |
0.240 |
0.038 |
0.257 |
0.026 |
-0.002 |
0.990 |
0.438 |
0.000 |
|
Kep |
-0.191 |
0.101 |
-0.288 |
0.012 |
-0.108 |
0.355 |
0.125 |
0.285 |
|
Ve |
0.418 |
0.000 |
0.466 |
0.000 |
0.123 |
0.293 |
0.269 |
0.020 |
|
fPV |
0.024 |
0.836 |
-0.082 |
0.482 |
0.118 |
0.315 |
0.061 |
0.605 |
|
TTP |
0.231 |
0.046 |
0.318 |
0.005 |
0.136 |
0.244 |
-0.062 |
0.598 |
|
0.040 |
0.736 |
0.048 |
0.680 |
-0.063 |
0.591 |
0.173 |
0.139 |
|
|
CER |
0.079 |
0.502 |
-0.008 |
0.947 |
0.027 |
0.819 |
0.121 |
0.299 |
|
0.017 |
0.886 |
-0.075 |
0.525 |
-0.065 |
0.579 |
0.125 |
0.286 |
|
|
AUC90 |
0.362 |
0.001 |
0.380 |
0.001 |
0.100 |
0.391 |
0.446 |
0.000 |
|
AUC180 |
0.380 |
0.001 |
0.405 |
0.000 |
0.123 |
0.295 |
0.423 |
0.000 |
Conclusions:Being useful for characterising the neovasculature and permeability of primary NPC lesion, Some quantitative and semiquantitative parameters of DCE-MRI show correlation with clinical stage of NPC. These DCE-MRI parameters might be the potential noninvasive radiological prognostic indicators of NPC