[Cine-MRI contribution to assess swallowing mechanism and oro-pharyngeal dysphagia].
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at evaluating the performance of Cine-MRI to assess swallowing in patients previously treated for head and neck cancer.


METHODS
10 healthy control subjects and a cohort of 10 patients with 8 partial glossectomies, 1 total laryngectomy and 1 glossolaryngectomy underwent imaging from October 2005 to February 2007. The MRI examinations were performed on a 1.5 Tesla system (Siemens Avanto), with True-Fisp sequences (TR = 170 ms, TE = 1 ms, slice thickness = 10 mm) at a rate of 8 pictures per second, during dry swallowing.


RESULTS
Results are relevant for real-time spatial resolution from lips to larynx and dynamic motions analyses of tongue, velum, posterior pharyngeal wall and larynx during dry swallowing. Oro-pharyngo-laryngeal occlusion deficiency induces aspiration in case of partial glossectomy. Total laryngectomy modifies tongue, velum and pharynx landmarks.


CONCLUSIONS
Cine-MRI i) provides functional insight from the oral cavity to the larynx, ii) gives accurate informations about impairments due to the pathology and its treatment, iii) completes others investigations like fiberoptic endoscopy or transit time, iiii) allows a precise analysis of the muscular movements involved in the deficient swallowing mechanism, in order to optimize rehabilitative strategies and results.
Fauvet
F
F
CHRU Hôpital de Hautepierre, Service d'ORL et de Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, 1 av. Molière, 67098 Strasbourg, France. florence.fauvet@chru-strasbourg.fr
Charpiot
A
A
Schultz
P
P
Riehm
S
S
Vetter
D
D
Veillon
F
F
Hémar
P
P
Debry
C
C