Detection of cervical lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: diagnostic performance of PET/MRI using a multiparametric diagnostic model

PurposeTo evaluate diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR) using a multiparametric model for the detection of cervical lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsPreoperative PET/MR of 95 cervical lymph nodes from patients diagnosed with HNSCC were retrospectively evaluated. Parameters of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), dynamic enhanced imaging (DCE) and stand-ardized uptake value (SUV) of the nodes were extracted, including ADCmean, Ktrans, Ve, Kep, SUVmean and SUVmax. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the diagnostic model of lymph node metastasis. The diagnostic performance of the independent parameters and the combined diagnostic model were evaluated according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results(1)30 metastatic and 65 benign lymph nodes with pathological diagnosis were involved. (2) There were significant differences of SUVmax, SUVmean, Ktrans and Ve between the groups with metastatic nodes and benign nodes. (3) Compared with independent parameters, PET/MR combined parameters had the highest diagnostic efficacy, with area under the ROC curve of 0.91 (P < 0.001).ConclusionsCombined diagnostic model base on multiparametric PET/MR could im-prove the diagnostic efficacy of cervical lymph node metastasis in HNSCC.