TOPLINE:

A retrospective study of MRI datasets revealed that a 15-channel dental coil was associated with superior image quality and accuracy in detecting bone invasion in patients with head and neck cancer compared with a standard 20-channel coil, with greater sensitivity and similar specificity.

METHODOLOGY:

• This study included data for 40 patients (mean age, 67 years; 18 women) with clinically and histologically diagnosed locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (stage III or IV) between August 2020 and April 2023.
• All patients underwent routine MRI scanning using both a 20-channel head and neck coil (Siemens Healthcare) to assess the entire head and neck region and a 15-channel dental coil (NORAS MRI Products GmbH) to assess the oral cavity.
• Two experienced radiologists independently evaluated the image datasets for signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, bone infiltration, image quality, metal artefacts, and tumour delineation using a 5-point grading scale.
• Analysis also included radio-histopathologic assessment of bone invasion, with interobserver agreement evaluated using Cohen's kappa.

TAKEAWAY:

• Signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio values were significantly higher with the 15-channel coil than with the 20-channel coil (P < .01), and the contrast-to-noise ratio of the 15-channel coil was 2.5 times higher than that of the standard coil.
• The 15-channel coil demonstrated superior image quality (median, 4.5 vs 3) and provided better performance, particularly in reducing metal artefacts, delineating lesions, and assessing jaw infiltration (P < .01 for all), compared with the standard coil.
• Interobserver agreement in the study was very good, with Cohen's kappa values of 0.89 for bone infiltration assessment, 0.94 for overall image quality, 0.83 for artefact reduction, and 0.81 for lesion delineation.
• The 15-channel coil correctly identified all histopathologically confirmed cases of bone invasion, with one false positive result, whereas the standard coil yielded three false positive cases and six false negative cases. Both the coils showed similar specificity, but the 15-channel coil was more sensitive than the 20-channel coil.

IN PRACTICE:

"MRI with a 15-channel dental coil provides superior image quality, lesion delineation, and bone infiltration detection in advanced oral cavity tumours due to its higher spatial resolution and fewer metal artifacts," the authors wrote, concluding that "this capability enables more accurate diagnosis of bone invasion, supporting the development of personalized treatment strategies for advanced head and neck cancer."

SOURCE:

The study was led by Iris Burck, MD, Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany. It was published online on November 24, 2025, in European Journal of Radiology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was limited by its retrospective, single-centre design and small sample size, and some patients were unable to complete lengthy MRI scans due to poor health. Additionally, the study did not explicitly evaluate the distinction between cortical and bony tumour infiltration.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. The authors declared having no relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.