title: Measurement of tumor blood flow in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling: comparison with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility of tumor blood flow (TBF) measurement in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) in a comparison with dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) perfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively scanned 18 patients with HNSCC using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with both pCASL and DCE perfusion. Quantitative TBF value in the whole-tumor region of interest (ROI), and regional TBF in the ROIs of the central and peripheral areas in the tumor were respectively measured. Relative TBF value in the whole-tumor ROI was also calculated. We determined the correlation and agreement between each measured TBF by pCASL and DCE perfusion using Pearson's correlation coefficients, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and Bland-Altman analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the whole-tumor ROIs, significant correlation was observed between the absolute TBF values (r = 0.72, P < 0.01), with an ICC of 0.72; moreover, higher correlation was observed in the relative TBF (r = 0.79). The correlation was higher in the peripheral ROI (r = 0.70) than the central ROI (r = 0.65), with an ICC of 0.62 and 0.54, respectively. Bland-Altman plots revealed the underestimation of TBF by pCASL in central ROIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TBF measurement by pCASL was feasible in patients with HNSCC. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:1-1. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors: Department of Radiology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Noriyuki
authors: N
authors: Fujima
authors: Kohsuke
authors: K
authors: Kudo
authors: Akiko
authors: A
authors: Tsukahara
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Yoshida
authors: Tomohiro
authors: T
authors: Sakashita
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Homma
authors: Khin Khin
authors: KK
authors: Tha
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Shirato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013113:Spin Labels; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D013113:Spin Labels
keywords: dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling; tumor blood flow