Diffusion-weighted imaging of the head and neck: comparison between integrated slice-specific dynamic shimming and...

To compare integrated slice-specific dynamic shimming (iShim) and simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (RESOLVE) for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of malignant head and neck tumours.

In this prospective study, 45 patients with malignant head and neck lesions underwent iShim- and SMS-RESOLVE imaging with two b-values (0, 800 s/mm2) at 3 T. Subjective image quality scores (lesion distortion, signal loss, fat saturation, and artefacts), quantitative lesion distortion, quantitative image quality [signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and SNR efficiency], ADC values, and total acquisition times of iShim- and SMS-RESOLVE imaging were evaluated and compared.

iShim-RESOLVE (3 mins 7 s) had longer acquisition times than SMS-RESOLVE (2 min 1 s). iShim-RESOLVE images had much better overall image quality, geometric distortion, fat saturation, and signal loss than SMS-RESOLVE (P < .05). The quantitative tumour distortion in iShim-RESOLVE images was significantly smaller than those of SMS-RESOLVE, measured either with b = 0 s/mm2 or b = 800 s/mm2 (P < .05). Using the iShim technique, the SNR, CNR of high b-value images, and SNR efficiency were significantly higher than those of SMS-RESOLVE (P < .001). The ADC measurements with excellent agreement of iShim-RESOLVE images were higher than those of SMS-RESOLVE.

iShim-RESOLVE can decrease lesion distortion and improve overall image quality compared with SMS-RESOLVE in head and neck region.

iShim-RESOLVE DWI may serve as a promising technique for reducing distortion and assessing head and neck lesions in clinical practice.