Abstract: Objective · To determine clinical value of multi-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MVMRS) in the diagnosis of tongue carcinoma. Methods · A total of 56 cases that were pathologically diagnosed as having unilateral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or adenoid cystadenocarcinoma (ACC), January to December 2017, were selected in this retrospective study. The characteristics of metabolic profiles in MVMRS were analyzed. The signals of choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), choline creatine ratio (Cho/Cr), and lactate/lipids (LL) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were comparatively analyzed among the tumor parenchymal area, the paratumor area, and the contralateral control area in SCC/ACC group. The above indexes in the relative areas between SCC and ACC were also compared. Moreover, the relationship between the LL or Cho signal intensity with ADC in all the areas of two groups was investigated. Results · Higher Cho and LL signals were observed in the tumor parenchymal areas than those in the paratumor areas and the contralateral control areas in both SCC and ACC groups (P0.000), while ADC values in the tumor parenchymal areas were obviously lower (P0.000). Cho and LL signal intensities and ADC values in the paratumor areas were between the tumor parenchymal areas and contralateral control areas in both groups (P0.000). However, no significant difference among the areas in Cr or Cho/Cr signal was found (P>0.01). There was no significant difference between SCC and ACC groups in the relative areas, either (P>0.01). The signal intensity of LL in the tumor parenchymal area in SCC group was negatively linearly correlated with the ADC value (P0.000). Conclusion · MVMRS can detect the content of metabolites in tongue carcinoma, and LL and Cho signal intensities with ADC value can reflect the degree of tumor invasion in the paratumor areas.

Key words: multi-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MVMRS), tongue carcinoma, diagnosis, metabolite