Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and Doppler sonography in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck treated with induction chemotherapy.

In view of the inherent limitations associated with performing dynamic contrast enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in clinical settings, current study was designed to provide a proof of principle that Doppler sonography and DCE-MRI derived perfusion parameters yield similar hemodynamic information from metastatic lymph nodes in squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck (HNSCCs). Strong positive correlations between volume fraction of plasma space in tissues (V p ) and blood volume (r = 0.72, p = 0.02) and between V p and %area perfused (r = 0.65, p = 0.04) were observed. Additionally, a moderate positive correlation trending towards significance was obtained between volume transfer constant (K trans ) and %area perfused (r = 0.49, p = 0.09).