title: MRI-T2 values in the differentiation of recurrence and fibrosis after radiation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: The possibility of T2 values in the differentiation of local recurrence and irradiation fibrosis was studied prospectively in 36 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy. All the patients had a soft-tissue mass in the nasopharynx demonstrated by CT. Fourteen patients had tumor recurrence, 20 radiation fibrosis, 1 postradiation edema, and 1 inflammatory change. The control group consisted of 8 patients with untreated NPC. It was found that T2 was longer in patients with tumor than in patients with radiation fibrosis. We conclude that MRI may be used as a noninvasive method for differentiating radiation fibrosis from local recurrent NPC, but the prolonged T2 value of tumor is not specific and may be seen in radiation edema and infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College.
authors.forename: Q Y
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: L X
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Q L
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*