Imaging Anatomy of Waldeyer’s Ring and PET/CT and MRI Findings of Oropharyngeal Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> This study was conducted to analyze positron emission tomography (PET) / computedtomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performance with oropharyngeal non-Hodgkin’slymphoma (ONHL).Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: The complete image data of 30 ONHL cases were analyzed, allpatients were performed PET / CT and MRI examination before the treatment, with the time interval of thesetwo inspections not exceeding 14 days. The distribution, morphology, MRI signal characteristics, enhancementfeature, standardized uptake value (SUV) max value and lymph node metastasis way of the lesions were analyzed.<br/><b>Results</b>: Among the 30 cases, 23 cases were derived from the B-cell (76.7%), 5 cases were derived from theperipheral T cells (16.7%) and 2 cases were derived from the NK/T cells (6.7%). 19 cases exhibited the palatinetonsil involvement (63.3%). As for the lesion appearance, 10 cases appeared as mass, 8 cases were the diffusedtype and 12 cases were the mixed type. 25 cases exhibited the SUVmax value of PET / CT primary lesions as 11or more (83.3%). MRI showed that all patients exhibited various degrees of parapharyngeal side-compressednarrowing, but MRI still exhibited the high-signal fat, and the oropharyngeal mucosa was intact. 25 cases wereassociated with the neck lymph node metastasis, among who 22 cases had no necrosis in the metastatic lymphnodes, while the rest 3 cases exhibited the central necrosis in the metastatic lymph nodes. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: PET /CT and MRI have important value in diagnosing and determining the lesion extent of ONHL.