Evaluation of Swallow Function After Tongue Cancer Treatment Using Real-Time Magnetic Resonance Imaging

IMPORTANCE—Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the advantage of imaging swallow function at any anatomical level without changing the position of patient, which can provide detailed information than modified barium swallow, by far the gold standard of swallow evaluation. OBJECTIVE—To investigate the use of real-time MRI in the evaluation of swallow function of patients with tongue cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS—Real-time MRI experiments were performed on a Signa Excite HD 1.5-T scanner (GE Healthcare), with gradients capable of 40-mT/m (milli-Tesla per meter) amplitudes and 150-mT/m/ms (mT/m per millisecond) slew rates. The sequence used was spiral fast gradient echo sequence. Four men with base of tongue or oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and 3 age-matched healthy men with normal swallowing participated in the experiment. Corresponding Author: Uttam K. Sinha, MD, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, 1520 San Pablo St, Ste 4600, Los Angeles, CA 90033 ([email protected]). Video at jamaotolaryngology.com Author Contributions: Dr Zu had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Study concept and design: Zu, Narayanan, Kim, Nayak, Sinha. Acquisition of data: Zu, Narayanan, Kim, Nayak, Villegas, Ouyoung, Sinha. Analysis and interpretation of data: Zu, Narayanan, Bronson-Lowe, Ouyoung, Sinha. Drafting of the manuscript: Zu, Kim, Nayak, Villegas, Ouyoung, Sinha, Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Zu, Narayanan, Nayak, Bronson-Lowe, Sinha. Statistical analysis: Zu, Sinha. Obtained funding: Zu, Nayak, Sinha. Administrative, technical, or material support: Zu, Narayanan, Kim, Nayak, Villegas, Ouyoung, Sinha. Study supervision: Zu, Narayanan, Nayak, Sinha. Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported. HHS Public Access Author manuscript JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 November 15. Published in final edited form as: JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013 December ; 139(12): 1312–1319. doi:10.1001/jamaoto. 2013.5444. A uhor M anscript