[Diagnostic value of head and neck neoplasms with 2D gradient echo sequence MR imaging].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic value of head and neck neoplasms detected with 2D gradient-echo sequence (GRE) MR imaging.


METHODS
One hundred patients with a total of 107 head and neck neoplasms underwent conventional spin-echo and 2D gradient-echo sequences MR imaging (T1- weighted image: 270-350ms/12-15ms/75 degrees; T2- weighted image: 400-500ms/20-25ms/15 degrees). All of 107 head and neck neoplasms (58 benign lesions and 49 malignant lesions) were histopathologically confirmed by biopsy and operation.


RESULTS
The hyperintense and mixed hyperintense signal neoplasms showed on GRE-T1 images in 42 lesions (18 benign and 24 malignant lesions), on SE-T1 images in three lesions (benign), on GRE-T2 images in 102 lesions (53 benign and 49 malignant lesions), and on SE-T2 images in 92 lesions (50 benign and 42 malignant lesions). The capsule of head and neck masses was demonstrated on GRE images in 41 lesions, and on SE images in 34 lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors concluded that 2D gradient-echo MR imaging is superior to spin-echo MR imaging in delineating the extent and capsule of masses, but it is difficult to make differentiating diagnosis between most of benign and malignant head and neck neoplasms.
Department of Radiology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200011, China.
Hui-min
HM
Shi
Ping-zhong
PZ
Wang
Ji-cheng
JC
Lou