A five-colour colour-coded mapping method for DCE-MRI analysis of head and neck tumours

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is crucial for assessing head and neck cancers.
• Interpreting time-intensity curves (TICs) from DCE-MRI can be complex.
• A need exists for objective methods to analyze DCE-MRI data for head and neck tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for converting DCE-MRI TICs into a pixel-by-pixel color-coded map.
• To differentiate normal tissues from head and neck tumors using this mapping technique.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-three head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients underwent DCE-MRI.
• Time-intensity curve patterns were analyzed and categorized.
• A program was devised to generate a classified color-coded map based on enhancement patterns.

Main Results:

• Five distinct TIC patterns were mapped to colors: red (maximum enhancement), brown (slow rise), yellow (rapid wash-in/wash-out), green (rapid wash-in/plateau), and blue (rapid wash-in/rise-up).
• The color-coded map successfully distinguished all primary tumors and metastatic nodes from normal structures.
• Tumors showed predominantly yellow, green, or blue coding, while vessels were red and muscles brown, with specific color codings for salivary glands, thyroid glands, and palatine tonsils.

Conclusions:

• DCE-MRI derived five-color-coded mapping offers an objective and easily interpretable approach.
• This method effectively assesses the dynamic enhancement patterns in head and neck cancers.
• The color-coded map enhances the analysis of DCE-MRI data for improved cancer assessment.