Diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping of head and neck lymph node metastasis: a...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is a prevalent malignancy globally.
• Lymph node (LN) status is a critical prognostic factor in HNSCC.
• Early detection of LN involvement is vital for effective treatment and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current literature on quantitative diffusion imaging for LN staging in HNSCC patients.
• To explore the role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in HNSCC management.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search on PubMed using keywords: DWI, MRI, head and neck, staging, lymph node.
• Adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.
• Analysis of 18 selected peer-reviewed papers after excluding reviews, meta-analyses, case reports, and bibliometric studies.

Main Results:

• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) shows promise in enhancing diagnosis and treatment planning for HNSCC.
• The selected studies indicate DWI's utility in evaluating lymph node involvement in HNSCC.
• Quantitative diffusion parameters require further investigation.

Conclusions:

• DWI is a valuable tool for improving the diagnosis, treatment planning, response evaluation, and overall management of HNSCC.
• More extensive data on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and DWI parameters are necessary.
• Development of prognostic and predictive models for HNSCC using MRI requires further robust data.