Radiation-induced dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients: MRI-based study

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer is known to induce dysphasia and cause morphologic changes in the muscles of swallowing. This study investigated the changes in the width and signal intensity ratio (SIR) of the pharyngeal constrictor muscles (PCM), SIR of the parapharyngeal space, and the width of the retropharyngeal space detectable by MRI after RT for nasopharyngeal cancer patients. Twenty-two patients receiving RT for nasopharyngeal cancer between April 2007 and March 2014 were enrolled in this study.The patients receiving RT had significant increased thickness, decreased T1-SIR, and increased T2-SIR in PCMs. T1- and T2-SIRs in the parapharyngeal space decreased significantly. And increased width of the retropharyngeal space was noted. The changes in the width and SIR of the PCM, SIR of the parapharyngeal space, and the width of the retropharyngeal space did not differ between Grade 2 and Grade 3 in both early and late dysphagia.