title: Qualitative and quantitative performance of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/MRI versus ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MR imaging and PET/CT are integrated in the work-up of head and neck cancer patients. The hybrid imaging technology (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging combining morphological and functional information might be attractive in this patient population. The aim of the study was to compare whole-body (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with head and neck cancer, both qualitatively in terms of lymph node and distant metastases detection and quantitatively in terms of standardized uptake values measured in (18)F-FDG-avid lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients with head and neck cancer underwent both whole-body PET/CT and PET/MR imaging after a single injection of (18)F-FDG. Two groups of readers counted the number of lesions on PET/CT and PET/MR imaging scans. A consensus reading was performed in those cases in which the groups disagreed. Quantitative standardized uptake value measurements were performed by placing spheric ROIs over the lesions in 3 different planes. Weighted and unweighted κ statistics, correlation analysis, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  κ statistics for the number of head and neck lesion lesions counted (pooled across regions) revealed interreader agreement between groups 1 and 2 of 0.47 and 0.56, respectively. Intrareader agreement was 0.67 and 0.63. The consensus reading provided an intrareader agreement of 0.63. For the presence or absence of metastasis, interreader agreement was 0.85 and 0.70. The consensus reading provided an intrareader agreement of 0.72. The correlations between the maximum standardized uptake value in (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT for primary tumors and lymph node and metastatic lesions were very high (Spearman r = 1.00, 0.93, and 0.92, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with head and neck cancer, (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT provide comparable results in the detection of lymph node and distant metastases. Standardized uptake values derived from (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging can be used reliably in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio sasan.partovi@case.edu.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Partovi
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohan
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vercher-Conejero
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (S.M., M.D.S.), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Margevicius
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (S.M., M.D.S.), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schluchter
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Faulhaber
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (S.P., A.K., J.L.V.-C., C.R., C.G., P.F., M.R.R.), University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Robbin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18